On Chemical Nomenclature. 261 
in their properties; that no method of defining a salt had been devised, 
which had not been founded either on properties or composition; that 
in the nomenclature of Berzelius properties were disregarded, since 
among his haloid and ampbide salts were found substances, differing 
extremely in this respect. Thus, for instance, common salt Glauber’s,: 
salt, Epsom salt, vitriolated tartar, and cream of tartar, were associated 
with the fuming liquor of Libavius, the butyraceous chlorides of zinc, 
antimony, and bismuth, plumbum corneum, luna cornea, fluor spar, 
and the acid fluorides of silicon and boron. I objected also that 
coinposition could not be resorted to consistently with his classifica- 
tion ; since, agreeably to it, a salt might be either a binary com- 
pound of a halogen body with a radical, or consist of two binary 
compounds, each containing the same amphigen body. 
To the terms acid and base, as employed in his nomenclature, I 
. objected, that neither by the celebrated author, nor by any other 
chemist had any definition been adhered to which could, consistent- 
ly with his plan, restrict the meaning of those appellations to the bi- 
nary compounds formed by the union of his amphigen bodies with 
radicals. 
Acidity and basidity* had sometimes been distinguished by an 
appeal to properties, sometimes to composition, but to neither had 
there been any consistent attention. In order to demonstrate the 
total neglect of properties latterly displayed, it was only necessary 
to contrast substances bearing generally the name of acids; as for 
instance sulphuric acid with rock erystal, acetic acid with tannin, 
and prussic acid with margaric ; or to contemplate simultaneously 
the admission of the hydracids formed with the halogen bodies into 
the class of acids, while alleged incapable of cokabibiég with bases, 
with the exclusion from that class of nitrous acid, upon the plea of 
the same incapacity. 
In reference to neglect of composition in forming the class of 
acids, it will be sufficient to advert to the association in that class, 
of compounds formed with radicals both by the halogen and amphi- 
gen bodies ; so that the halogen bodies are in one case producers of 
salts, in the other producers of acids ; in one case act as supporters, 
acidifiers, or electro-negative principles, in another as radicals to the 
seiopareieay electro-positive hydrogen, pre-eminently a radical by 
* For the use of the words basidity and salidity, Ihave no authority; but con- 
Ceive that through their analogy with acidity, their meaning is so obvious as 
make it expedient to employ them. 
