Chemical Philosophy, 85 



declared their dissatisfaction with Stahl's theory. 

 Their objections were adopted by a number of con- 

 temporary inquirers; but they contented them^ 

 selves with an ino-enious modification of the system, 

 instead of an entire abandonment of it. To these 

 objections succeeded a number of papers, in the 

 Annales dc Chcmie, and the Journal de PJnjsique, 

 by Lavoisier and others, which indicated a grow- 

 ing dissatisfaction with the popular opinions, gra- 

 dually introduced new modes of reasoning, and 

 promised the approach of a grand epoch in the his- 

 tory of this science. 



But it was not only the ^c;r/r//z<?.yof chemistry that 

 called for reform. Complaints had been long made 

 that the nomenclature of the science was inaccurate, 

 perplexed and inadequate.'" To remove these com- 

 plaints many attempts had been made by chemical 

 philosophers. It has been already observed that 

 Bergman laboured much to forward this branch of 

 improvement. Scheele contributed to the correc- 

 tion of several old names, and added many new ones 

 to the list; and Macquer discarded a number of 

 the ancient terms, and substituted others less ex- 

 ceptionable in their place. Still, however, the 

 evil, notwithstanding these partial reforms, con- 

 tinued and increased, until it became a serious im- 

 pediment in the course of the student. Hitherto 

 the number of objects which had engaged the at- 

 tention of chemists, had been comparatively small. 

 The acids amounted only to ,fivc; the earths to 

 four; the metals to tivelve ox fourteen; and the neu- 



m Some of the most familiar preparations were distinguished, by the 

 old chemists, by the most ridiculous and unmeaning names. They loaded 

 their nomenclature with such jargon as the following: Liver of sulphur — ■ 

 mercury of If: — butter of antimony — horned moon — the double secret — the corra^^ 

 line secret — the salt of many -virtues — the foliated earth of tartar, l^c. To 

 these, some still more capricious and inconvenient might he added. The 

 difficulties and the mischief of retaining such a language must be apparent 

 to every chemist. 



