100 Chemical Philosophi/. 



which the philosophical world was then called to" 

 choose. Many of the old names, discarded by 

 the French Academicians, are restored by Dr. 

 Dickson; while many substances, to which names 

 are given by them, he has left out, as not suffi- 

 ciently understood. He derives his new termsr 

 chiefly from the Latin instead of the Gj-eek lan- 

 guage. And he prefers that mode of arrangement 

 and classification which consigns the generic rank 

 to alkalies, earths, and metals, and reserves the 

 ncids for the distinction of species. He retains, 

 however, oxygen, and a few other words of Gr^ek 

 derivation. The advantages which, in the opi- 

 nion of the Irish Professor, would arise from the 

 adoption of this nomenclature, are, that the old 

 books on chemistry would thereby be more readily 

 understood, and more valuable; and that the ac- 

 quisition of the science would be more simple and 

 easy. Dr. Dickson's plan, though it undoubtedly 

 does no small honour to his learning and taste, 

 has not, it is believed, been adopted by any dis- 

 tinguished teacher of this branch of philosophy. 



It is proper also to take notice of a plan, by 

 Dr. Lubbock, of Great-Britain, for removing the 

 difficulties, and terminating the controversy re- 

 specting phlogiston. His idea of dividing all mat- 

 ter into two kinds, the principiuvfi proprium, and 

 the principiiim sorhile, and of accounting for all 

 chemical phenomena by the combinations of these, 

 is very ingeniously defended in his work on the 

 subject.'^ No less worthy of respectful notice is 

 Mrs. FuLHAME*s attempt to correct the antiphlo- 

 gistic theory, by referring to water as the source 

 of oxygen in all oxydations ; a very honourable 

 monument of female enterprize and talents.' The 



d DUsertatio Fhyslct-Chmicay ie Trineipio SnhilL 

 9 Essay on Combustion. 



