2o6 Chemical and Miner -illogical Nomenclature. 



alkali in its piireft ftate; for that name, both in Englifh and 

 French, has always denoted an impure alkali; but the pureft 

 alkali of this fort, having been formerly denoted by the name 

 of fait of tartar, a name certainly improper, T fubftitute in 

 its room the unexceptionable name tartarin, which, by its 

 affinity to the former, eafily fuggefts its fignification, and is 

 moreover attended with a fmoolh flowing adjective, tartqri- 

 nalcd, which is often wanting. For the fame reafon I rejecl 

 the name ammonia to exprefs the volatile alkali, as the name 

 ammoniac has always been employed to exprefs the combina- 

 tion of a volatile alkali with an acid, and, if no particular acid 

 was expreflcd, the muriatic was underftood : inftead of vola- 

 tile alkali, which is a compound denomination, I fubftitute 

 volalkali, whofe fignification cannot be miftaken. Its ad- 

 jective is not, indeed, quite fo happy : inftead, then, of volal- 

 Aalifed, I ufe the word juligiuated, which eafily indicates 

 the fame idea. Thefe are the only new chemical names I 

 employ. 



The term oxide is alfo unfnited to our language, in which 

 it naturally cxpreffes the bide of an ox. In pronunciation 

 they cannot be diftinguiflied ; in its ftead I would ufe oxat or 

 txidat, and inftead oioxided I would fubftitute oxidated. The 

 application of either of thefe terms to metallic fubftances in 

 an oxidated ftate is generally fuperfluous, as fuch fubftances 

 are already denoted, and known under the name of Metallic 

 calces. Guvton* has lately proved that diamonds are the 

 pureft carbon; yet furely even the French fchool will not at- 

 tempt to fupprefs that well-known name, and exchange it for 

 carbon. Neither, I fuppofe, will they call charcoal an oxide 

 of carbon, though proved to contain fome portion of oxygen; 

 and for the fame reafon I (hall not exchange the well-known 

 term plumbago for that of carburet of iron, though with re- 

 fpect to fimilaf compounds of other metals the term carburet 

 ihouid he employed. 



This fvftem of conciliation the French fchool reje&s with 



• It is with much regu-! and reluctance I mention this gentleman under 

 this new name, as he was generally known, and gained immortal fame, 

 under that of MorfCau j hence I lhali ftill ufe this in quoting his former 



works* 



difdain. 



