ON A NATURAL SYSTEM 



Argillaccum andSiliceum, might be properly u- 

 fed to iigniiy thefe fubflances pure and unmix- 

 ed. 



The names of the fixteen metals are all fub- 

 ftantivtrs, and except one, are of the neuter 

 gender. Thew>wjr of the Greeks was t ran f- 

 lated into Latin by Pliny hydrargyrum, and why 

 may not t\\splathia of the Spaniards be adopted 

 into the fume language, with a neutral termina- 

 tion? According to this propoial,weihallhavcthe 

 following generic names, aurum, platinum, argen- 

 tum, hydrargyrum, plumbum, cuprum } ftrrum,Jlan- 

 ncnm, vifmutum, niccolum, arfinicum, cobalt //;//, zin- 

 cum, antimonium, magntfium, and fulcrum, if this 

 laft diilers at all from iron. Each of them are to 

 indicate the metal in its complete (late. De- 

 phlogiflicated metals, commonly called calcin- 

 ed, or metallic calces, reiemble indeed, in 

 fome meufure, burned chalk, from their attrac- 

 tion of the aerial acid, from their becoming cau- 

 Ilic \\iih tlie volatile alkali, their fuiceptibility of 

 pulverifation, and ot!cr properties. ^ ' 



Of phlogiilic bodies, the generic names are fo 

 well cuiiilrucled that we have no remarks to of- 

 fer upon them : Mainafijulpbur, petrdtum, and 

 fuccinwn, are recehed with propriety. 



The four genera ut petr<r 1 define by the fol- 

 lowing names. The firfl, abounding in faline 

 matter, I ^\fnlf amentum ; the fecond, loaded 



vuih earthy matter, appears to rue to be proper- 



