

MINERALOGY. 299 



the mineral kingdom, and it is manifestly so in the 

 vegetable. 



The Electro- Chemical Theory of Mineralogy. 



We are taught to seek in every compound body 

 for ingredients of opposite electro-chemical principles, 

 whose combinations cohere with a force in proportion 

 to the degree of opposition in the electro-chemical 

 nature of the ingredients. In every compound body 

 there are one or more electro-positive, and one or 

 more electro-negative ingredients. By the first are 

 understood such as have inflammable bodies or salts 

 for bases, and by the last the oxygen and oxides that 

 go to the negative pole of the voltaic battery. In 

 other words, every substance called a basis in chemi- 

 cal combination, must have another that acts the part 

 of an acid, though not distinguished by the usual cha- 

 racters or tests. 



With the assistance of the above theory we disco- 

 ver a numerous class of minerals, resembling salts in 

 appearance, in which silex acts the part of an acid, 

 and of course an electro-negative ingredient. 



Silex is the most abundant substance found in the 

 crust of the earth, and as an acid possesses the pro- 

 perty of forming siliciates of various degrees of satu- 

 ration ; the most general are those in which the silex 

 contains the same quantity of oxygen as the base. 



The mineralogical arrangement of Berzelius, is 

 founded on the order of the electro-chemical proper- 

 ties of bodies, beginning with the most electro-nega- 

 tive, which is oxygen, and terminating with the most 

 electro-positive, potassium ; and placing every com- 

 pound body according to its most electro-positive 

 ingredients. 



If one class of stony bodies consists of salts, in 

 which silex performs the functions of an acid, com- 

 bining with them in definite proportions, the discovery 



