Chap. II.] Chemical Philosophy. I'i7 



choose. Many of the old names, discarded by tin? 

 French academicians, are restored by Dr. Dickson ; 

 while many substances, to which names are i^ivcii 

 by them, he has left out, as not sufficiently un(l(;r- 

 stood. He derives his new terms chielly from the 

 Latin, instead of the Qrcek lancjuage ; and he 

 prefers that mode of arrangement and classifica- 

 tion which assigns the generic rank to alkalies', 

 earths, and met ah:, and reserves the acids for tlic 

 distinction of species. He retains, however, oxy- 

 gen, and a few^ other words of Greek derivation. 

 The advantages which, in the o})inion of tlic Irish 

 professor, would arise from the adoption of this 

 iiomenclature, are, that tlie old books on chemistj-y 

 would thereby be more readily understood and 

 more valuable, and that the acquisition of the 

 science would be more simple and easy. l)r 

 Dickson's plan, though it undoubtedly does n(» 

 small honour to his learning and taste, has not, it 

 is believed, been adopted by any distinguished 

 teacher of this branch of philosol)h3^ 



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

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

 difficulties and terminating tlu coritroversy rt- 

 specting plilogiston. His idea of dividing all mat- 

 ter into two kinds— the principiuni proprium, and 

 the principium sorbite— Sind 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 



* JOissertatio Ph^'sico-Chenica, de Princlpio Soi 



•hU:. 



