Notices respecting New Books, 175 



and action of waicr ; 6ihly, Formation and classification of 

 acids ; 7lh!v, Properties of salifiable bases ; Sthly, Union 

 of acids with salifiable bases ; Othly, Oxydation and dissolu- 

 tion of metals; lOthly, iNature and formation of vegetable 

 compound-5 ; llthly, Passage of vegetable compounds to 

 the state of animal compounds; nature of ihc latter; and 

 12lhlv, Spontaneous decoitiposiiion of vegetable and animal 

 compounds." These twelve sections form the chief din- 

 sions of this chemical philoso])hy, which the author, in a 

 tone of self-gratulation that has but little affinity with the 

 true spirit of philosophy, assures us, " notwithstanding the 

 shortness of the work, really embraces ihe whole extent of 

 the science; makes known all its branches, presents all its 

 principles, and conveys, at the same time, the most general 

 and most accurate notions of it ! ! " M. Fourcroy, in com- 

 mon with many other anihors, here asserts that vegf'tables 

 are capable of effectin'i; " a real decombustion" of the air, 

 and tha! their leaves exposed to the rays of the sun *' shed 

 into the atmosphere a torrent of oxvgcn gas." Eliis has 

 sufficiently confuted these notions. (See Phil. Mag. vol. 

 xxviii. p. '273.) The following table exhibits the author'* 

 improved dassiiication of the acids. 



