Mr. J. Prideaux on Chemical Symbols and Notation. 105 



properties, — the pivot, as it were, round which chemical agency 

 revolves, — is exhibited, in a manner equally characteristic, pro- 

 minent and compact, by dots, corresponding to the number of 

 atoms placed over the symbol. 



Again, H is hydrogen ; H^ three hydrogen ; and NH^ am- 

 monia. C is carbon, C^ two carbon; and C^N cyanogen. 

 HC^N is hydrocyanic acid; and NH^HC^N hydrocyanate of 

 ammonia. 



Al is aluminum; Al alumina; S sulphur; S sulphuric 



acid; and Al S sulphate of alumina. A compound salt is 

 expressed by joining its proximate ingredients through the 



sign +; thus AIS + NH^S is sulphate of alumina and am- 

 monia. When one of the constituents is in more than one 

 atomic proportion, it is preceded by the indicatory multiple : 



thus NH^S + SAIS is ammoniacal alum, which crystallized 



with 25 atoms water becomes NH^ S + 3 Al S + Aq^^ 



(It is my custom to write the salifiable bases in inclined, 



and the acids in erect letters, NH^S + SAl S + ^5''", which is 

 attended with some conveniences; but has not received the 

 sanction of Berzelius, and might, though in my practice it 

 lias not so occurred, jwssibly interfere with his mineralogical 

 symbols.) 



A principal objection, in the paper above quoted, is, that 

 the symbols are joined in the way which, in algebra, denotes 

 multiplication- 



But this juxta-position K N, and the employment of an 

 index figure, NH^, as practised by Berzelius, lead the chemist 

 into no error, because their subjects are not susceptible of 

 algebraic powers, or of being multiplied into each other. We 

 can have neither cube nor square of H (hydrogen), nor ob- 

 tain a multiple of K by N : and the cases in which atomic 

 calculation would necessarily generate such products are so 

 rare that the letters .r, i/, &c. may be substituted, or the actual 

 symbols adapted to the occasion ; without general destruction 

 ot their conciseness, by multiplication of signs, brackets and 

 letters. Chemical mathematics are mostly simple, but a dif- 

 ference is to be made in the symbols, according to thw more 

 or less compound character of the individual subjects ol" cal- 

 culation, if simple bodies were concerned in the process, we 

 should represent them as u, oxygen; c, carbon, &c. If 

 alkalies and acids, as potash, nitric acid, &c. we should slate 

 them /, n; or f, ?/', if preferred. But with res|)ect to tri-silicate 



N.S. Vul. 10. No. 5(i. Aus. 1831. V oH 



