40 General Method for determining 



sons have been induced to inquire whether these names were 

 imposed with propriety. But why should these changes 

 be perpetually introduced into a science the business of 

 which is with lite; to which chemistry is subservient only 

 in a remote degree? Diseases were cured before chemical 

 remedies were invented. And where is this alteration of 

 names to end ? IF the discoveries of Mr. Davy are esta- 

 blished, the names of the alkalies are already absurd. Why 

 might not these three substances be termed ammonia, kali, 

 and barilla P They are very distinct, and convey to our minds 

 no adventitious ideas. And the substances they designate 

 may remain either in the vegetable or mineral kingdom, as 

 future experience may determine, without any occasion IQ 

 alter their denominations. 



In looking into Duncan's late edition of the Pharmaco- 

 poeia, we find five and even six names applied to one sub- 

 stance; some of which are current in London, others in 

 Dublin, and another kind only is understood in Edinburgh. 

 Suppose an individual were to pass by a different name in 

 each of, these capitals, the law would find it some ditliculty 

 in recognising him. 



The subs and supers bear some resemblance to the aps 

 and the macs and the o's, by which certain nations at- 

 tempt to indicate family affinities, but every one knows the 

 confounding of individual personality thence resulting; 

 and that if you are in search of a Mr. O'Flannagan, you 

 must not only designate him by his patronymic, but also 

 his christian name, lo which it is very requisite to add that 

 of the county, the village, and the hamlet where he was 

 born, and perhaps his numerical order in the series of births 

 of his prolific progenitors. Onomos. 



VI. General Method for deterviining the Orbits of Comets. 

 By M. La PL A CE * . 



J. HE present method will be divided into two parts : in the 

 first part we shall give the means of obtaining nearly the 

 perihelion distance, and the instant of the passage of the 

 comet by this point : in the second part we shall determine 

 precisely all the elements of the orbit, supposing the latter 

 10 be nearly known. 



Accurate Determination of the Perihelion Distance, and of 

 the Instant of the Passage of the Comet hy this Point. 

 1. We shall take three, four, five or more observations 



• Translated from M. Laplace's Theorie da Mouvemcnt et de la Figure def 

 Plan-tes, a work uow become very scarce. — Edit. 



of 



