174 Chemical and Minerahgical Nomenclature. 



as confided of only one word, not evidently denoting fome 

 falfe relation, might without inconvenience be admitted; 

 but in procefs of time defcriplions were admitted inftead ot 

 names, and thefe often falfe or abfurd, as fal mirablle, Jal 

 fecretum, arcanum duplicatum, arcanum corallinum, &c. 

 The inconvenience and evident impropriety of many of thele 

 defignations at laft attracted the attention of thole eminent 

 philofophic ehemifts, Bergman and Morveau. Morveau, fo 

 earlv as the vear 1782, publifhed an excellent memoir on this 

 fubjec-t in Rozier's journal, and his fentiments met with the 

 entire approbation of Bergman. The new denominations he 

 fought to introduce, foon however gave way to the more 

 exquifitely devifed fyftematic appellations grounded on the 

 difcoveries of Lavoifier, and the total elimination of the phlo- 

 gistic element formerly admitted. Thefe, in the formation 

 of which Morveau alio, in concurrence with a few of the 

 moll eminent Parifian ehemifts, bore a confiderable part, 

 were fince admitted and recogmfed by mod European ehe- 

 mifts, and particularly in England. The exceptions that ap- 

 peared to me reafonable to the general rules laid down by 

 this highly rcfpeftable aflbciation, or to fome of the terms 

 they introduced, I thought of too little confequence to men- 

 tion, knowing that the few antient denominations I retained, 

 and the dill fewer new ones I introduced, were perfectly in- 

 telligible ; nor ftiould I attempt at prelent to vindicate them, 

 had I not perceived they attracted the cenfure of many on 

 whole efteem I fet the higheft value. Thus circumlhmced, 

 ] feel mvfelf juftiGed in examining the general propriety of 

 thofe rules and affumed principles from which I thought 

 proper to deviate, and of the denominations which I reject. 



The firtt principle laid down by M. Morveau is, " that 

 pbTafes arc not a name ; that fubftances and chemical pro- 

 ducts ftiould be denoted by names fit to indicate them on 

 every qccafion, without having recourfe to circumftances ; 

 p. 373. To this principle I give my entire afleut. 



Another rule laid down by M. Morveau is, " that in, 

 choofing denominations we ftiould prefer thofe which have 

 their roots in be dead language's more generally known, in 

 order that the fenfe mould fugged the name, and the name 



the 



