104 ONTOLOGY. 



508. In consequence of this view, the Metals must 

 divide into Earth-metals and Fire-metals ; and the latter 

 again into three subdivisions, nearly as follows : 



A. Earth-metals difficultly fusible and invariably 

 oxydized Sidereometalla, e. g. Iron Manganese, Wol- 

 fram, Uranium, Titanium, Chromium, &c. 



B. Eire-metals. 



a. Heavy metals ; difficultly fusible, unoxydized or 

 noble metals, e. g. Platinum, Nickel, Cobalt. 



b. Light metals ; the easily fused noble metals e. g. 

 Gold, Silver, &c. 



c. Heat-metals ; the easily fused, ignoble and fre- 

 quently volatile metals, e. g. Lead, Tin, Antimony, Zinc, 

 Arsenic, &c. 



509. The Inflammables divide under a chemical point 

 of view into two groups into the varieties of Coal and 

 Sulphur, whereof the Earthy lies at the basis of the for- 

 mer which is non-fusible ; the Aerial at that of the latter. 

 They do not admit of being divided, unless a mean be- 

 twixt the two be taken, the combinations of carbon and 

 hydrogen in the resins. 



510. The Salts admit of a better dismemberment. 

 Their constituent parts are alkalies and acids, the former 

 the Earthy, the latter the Aqueous. The mean condition is 

 exhibited by the neutral salts, so that three orders are 

 the result. 



511. Now by the philosophical view we have first 

 attained to the very remarkable import of the acids. They 

 are forsooth nothing else than oxydized elements and mine- 

 ral classes. In the nitric acid it is evident that, as the acid 

 of nitrogen, it is the aerial acid ; as sulphuric acid is the 

 inflammable acid ; arsenic acid the metallic acid. Upon 

 this ground we may expect that the other acids also have 

 a similar origin. Without much hesitation hydrochloric 

 acid may be viewed as the aqueous acid, which is asso- 

 ciated with the sea ; the carbonic acid as atlier- or igneous- 

 acid, as well on account of its constituent parts and 

 gaseous character, as chiefly on account of its general 

 diffusion. There remain then only two that have been 



