1 02 Chemical Philosophr/. 



the deleterious compounds above mentioned the* 

 cxyd of septon, and septic acid. The various facts 

 and reasonings adduced by the Professor in sup- 

 port of these opinions, and the extensive appli- 

 cation of v^hich he considers them as susceptible, 

 have been so generally made known and discus- 

 sed, both in Europe and America, as to preclude 

 the necessity of giving further details. 



In 1797 Dr. Mitchill, with a view to termi- 

 nate the controversy between the phlogistians and 

 their opponents, proposed to expunge hydi^ogen 

 from the nomenclature, and to introduce phlogis- 

 toii in its place. He suggested, that giving this 

 old and popular name to a known and definite 

 substance, instead of using it in its former vague 

 manner, and ascribing to this substance those 

 qualities which had been formerly ascribed to a 

 non-entity, would go far toward reconciling many 

 points of difference between the advocates of the 

 old and the new systems, and would throw much 

 light on many chemical phenomena. The same 

 gentleman soon afterwards proposed to discard 

 the term caloriqiie, adopted by the French Aca- 

 demicians, and to substitute the word anticvouon^ 

 in its stead. He supposed, that denominating the 

 matter of heat the great principle of repulsion^ 

 would lead to more correct philosophical views 

 with respect to this substance, as well as render 

 the language of chemistry more accurate. These 

 several opinions and proposals have been some 

 time before the public; and whatever maybe the 

 ultimate judgment of chemists with regard to their 

 adoption, the praise of great learning, ingenuity 



a Derived from ^Xoyt^o), inpammo: hence to ^Xoy^;rov^ the principle of 

 (nflammability, or that which, in any substance, burns ivitb blaze. 



J Derived from the verb wrtxpoww, repelh: hence to (xm^ovovy ibe priti' 

 fiple of repulsion. 



