130 Chemical Philosophy, [Chap. II. 



adopted by the French academicians, and to sub- 

 stitute the word anticrouon* in its stead. He sup- 

 posed, 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 che- 

 mistry more accurate. These several opinions and 

 proposals have been some time before the public ; 

 and, whatever may be the ultimate judgement of 

 chemists with regard to their adoption, the praise 

 of great learning, ingenuity, and industry, must 

 •undoubtedly be given to their author f. 



Beside the revolutions and improvements in the 

 doctrines and in the language of chemistry which 

 have been detailed, various instruments and ma^ 

 chines, of great value for measuring chemical sub- 

 stances, or facilitating chemical processes, have been 

 invented in the course of the last century. Of 

 some of the most important of these it will be pro- 

 per to give a short account. 



At an early period of the century, while specu- 

 lations on the nature and properties of heat en- 

 gaged the attention of the philosophical -world, 

 various contrivances for measuring this fluid were 



* Derived from the verb OLvriy-crju:, repdlo: hence rl «vr;- 

 yipouov, the principle of repulsion. 



t Those who wish to see a more detailed account of Dr. Mit- 

 chill's new chemical opinions and terms, will find it "in his Expla^ 

 nation of the Synopsis of Chemical Nomenclature and Arrangement, 

 &:c., lately published. Much information on this subject may 

 •ilso be found in the volumes of tlie Medical Repository y and in 

 several of tlie European journals. In these publications the 

 reader will see the respectful manner in which the inquiries of 

 the learned professor have been noticed in different parts of 

 tiirope. 



