BARCLAY’S ANATOMICAL NOMENCLATURE. 
«« The teeth of adults yielded, on analysis 
in 100 grains, 
Phosphate oflime - - - - 64 
Carbonate oflime - - - - 6 
Gelbtne rs 5 ofS Se ene 
gO 
Water of composition and loss - 10 
100 
Specific gravity of adult’s teeth 2.2727. 
761 
‘* The shedding, or primary teeth of chil- 
dren, yielded on analysis in 100 grains, 
Phosphateoflime - - - - 62 
Carbonate of lime - - + - 6 
Gelatin - - - - = = - 20 
83 
12. 
100... 
Specific gravity of children's teeth 2.0833." 
Water of composition and loss + 
Art. XXXIII. 4 new Anatomical Nomenclature. By Dr. Barcray. 
SO much of the best spirit of a mode- 
rate, sagacious and truly philosophical 
reformer appears in this essay, as imme- 
diately to lay to rest all that hostility to 
_ mere innovation which naturally arises 
when reform is dictated and not advised ; 
and to ensure, at least, a respectful at- 
tention, if not to enforce conviction. 
The subject of scientific nomenclature 
is curious, important and entertaining, 
and involves many interesting enquiries 
_ -gelative to the origin, progress, and ca- 
pacity of language. The author but 
slightly touches on these topics, confining 
himself principally to the precise object 
expressed in the title page, that of ana- 
» tomical nomenclature. 
. Dr. Barclay judiciously begins by 
shewing the faults of the present system; 
‘the most unpardonable of which, where 
“it occurs, is ambiguity. Many of the 
common terms of relative situation lie 
under this censure; superior, inferior, ante- 
rior, posterior, within, without, Kc. &c. are 
-all occasionally used in more than one 
sense, and therefore must frequently mis- 
lead the learner. Our continental neigh- 
bours, the French, stimulated doubtless 
by the deserved success of their chemical 
nomenclature, have attempted a reformin 
that of anatomy; but though undertaken 
by such able men as Vicq d’Azyr and 
Chaussier, Dr. Barclay has shewn that 
these attempts have not answered expec- 
‘tation, owing to a preference (now so 
fashionable) of cumberous minuteness to 
useful condensation. 
The author proceeds to enquire which 
is the best language to furnish the radi- 
cals of a scientific nomenclature. The 
scholar will at once decide in favour of 
Greek or Latin; and, with justice we 
apprehend, because they are the only 
languages common to science, over the 
greater part of the philosophical world, 
because they are the least liable to change 
being fixed by indelible standards, which 
will endure as long as learning and taste 
are valued, and because they possess a 
modulating harmony which admits of 
extensive variety and useful combinations 
Dr. Barclay comes to the same result 
by a different mode of reasoning, and 
proceeds to demonstrate anatomically 
(and we must add a little whimsically) 
the 1,125,899,906,842,623 possible com- 
binations of the muscles that contribute 
to the human voice, whence he infers 
that no living vocal language can pre- 
serve its stability against such an array of 
millions of chancesof variation ; andhence 
that the classic languages, now nearly 
extinct as living tongues, and resting on 
the solid basis of written record, are to 
be preferred as the basis of philosophical 
nomenclature. : 
Dr. Barclay allows, however, a large 
latitude in the combination of these lan- 
guages, “ notwithstanding the oppro- 
brium attached by some to certain con- 
nections and intermarriages among harm- 
less vocables,” and where utility would 
be much consulted, he would not refuse 
the union of the two languages in the 
same compound. In this he is supported 
by some authority; for though the clas- 
sic earsof our continental name-reforming 
neighbours might be shocked at diventer 
or bigastric, they have judiciously tole- 
rated centilitre, milligramme, &¢e. for the 
conveniency of their metrical system. _ 
With some remarks on the present sys- 
tem of chemical nomenclature, Dr.’ Bar- 
clay proceeds to point out the imperfec- 
tions of the anatomical: 
‘* Many of the present terms. of anatomy 
have been condemned for not expressi 
some quality or circumstance of the objects 
which they signify, and others, containing 
a kind of a short definition or description, have 
been substitured for them. As it may be 
both wished and expected that the new terms 
brought into anatomy were all of this sort, a 
previous inquiry into their nature, uses, and 
eculiar advantages, will not. be improper, 
he French have lately adopted such terms 
in their modern calendar; the words nivose, 
