ON A NATURAL SYSTEM 



individuals at the fame time, it might, upon the 

 whole, he better to mitt the fame of all, to the 

 impartial records of the hiiloric page. This ex- 

 ception, however, need not extend to names of 

 little importance in chemillry. 



5 cxii. By what Means are the Citifies of Fof- 



Jlls ib be defined ? 



EACH clafs of fotTils fhould, if pollihle, he de- 

 fined by one lingle word. Such as, Salts, 

 Earths, Metals, and Plilogillica. True, indeed, 

 the lail is an adjedive ; but <m this account fole- 

 ly it is notto.be K-jcdcd, as we ihall prefently 

 ihew : Nor, indeed, have we reaion to appre- 

 hend ambiguity from the life of it, as the con- 

 text will always determine whenever it refers 

 to folfiN. If any one Ihould think the word 

 bltumlua preferable, I can have no objections ; 

 although it may appear extraordinary to many 

 toconlider diamonds under thi* definition. 



For want of a more proper appellation, I dii- 

 tinguifh foilils mixed mechanically under the 

 name of'Petnt*. My realons for this dillinclion 

 I have given already in } 166. Thole, however, 

 that form the fubjecl oi' the other appendix, ;u 

 organic foiliii, can fcarcc be defined under one 

 tide, and we mull therefoje citiier employ two, 

 or calj them in general retrefacliom, 4 109. 



t.\(in. 



