CHEMISTRY. 



CHEMICAL ARRAXGZMENT OF BODIES. 



I. Substances not yet decomposed, called 

 simple principles. 



1. Principles of doubtful existence. 

 These are (a) heat, (6) light, and the 

 causes of (c) galvanic, (</) electric, and 

 (e) magnetic phenomena. These ener- 

 gies cannot be confined in vessels ; they 

 are not measurable by figured extension 

 or by gravity; we know nothing of their 

 compounds; and they accompany and 

 are excitable in other bodies by manipu- 

 lation : from which, and other reasons, 

 they have been thought to be modes, 

 properties, or occasional habitudes of 

 bodies. But, on the other hand, they 

 possess so many distinctive characters, 

 thsit a large class of philosophers ascribe 

 them to certain peculiar fluids, or to one 

 common fluid. See ETHER. 



2. Simple principles, which have been 

 exhibited only in the gaseous form, un- 

 less in combination These are (a) oxy- 

 gen, (6; hydrogen, (c) azote, or nitrogen. 

 The character here assumed for classifi- 

 cation might seem insufficient, as being 

 merely relative to our present means of 

 attempting to condense these bodies, if 

 there were not some strong distinctive 

 circumstances belonging to them. In 

 particular, oxygen with hydrogen forms 

 wa er, of which an immense ocean co- 

 vers two-thirds of the surface of our 

 planet ; and oxygen with nitrogen forms 

 the air of that atmosphere which sur- 

 rounds us on all sides to the height of 

 many miles, and would, if it could be 

 compressed to the density of common 

 earth, cover all the land and sea to the 

 depth of at least fifteen feet: and (d) 

 the unknown base of muriatic acid 

 ought probably to be admitted in this 

 place. 



3. Simple principles, not combustible. 

 These are (a) earths, distinguished by a 

 want of fusibility, volatility, and solubi- 

 lity in water, which in most species is 

 almost total. There are nine at present 

 known ; namely, silex, alumina, lime, 

 magnesia, barytes, strontites, zircon, it- 

 tria, glucine : and (6) alkalies, which are 

 fusible, volatile by a red heat, and very 

 soluble in water: three are known : pot- 

 ash, soda, and ammonia. 



The recent decomposition of the two 

 former alkalies (see ALKAU,) and the 

 well known composition of the latter, 

 must with propriety exclude them from 

 their present situation : but they are re- 

 fained in this class of ineombustibtes Un- 



til the confirmation and developement of 

 those facts shall have perfectly settled 

 their place. 



4. Simple principles, conbustible. and 

 in some aggregations transparent. These 

 are, (a) diamond, or carbon ; () sul- 

 phur; and (c) phosphorus The two 

 latter of these combine readily, and burn 

 with the oxygen of the atmosphere; the 

 latter, in various of its compounds and 

 species,appears to be impeded in its com- 

 bustion by khe force of cohesion in the ag- 

 gregate. " 



5. Simple principles,combustible,opaque 

 in every state of solid aggregation, and 

 peculiarly brilliant by reflection; metals. 

 Of these, 28 are at present known. 1. 

 Gold; 2. Platina; 3. Silver; 4. Mercury; 

 5. fridmm; 6. Osmium ; 7. Rhodium; 8. 

 Palladium; 9. Copper; 10. Iron; 11. 

 Lead; 12. Tin ; 13. Zinc; 14. Bismuth; 

 15. Antimony; 16. Nickel; 17. Cobalt; 

 18. Manganese ; 19. Arsenic ; 20. Tellu- 

 rium ; 21. Chrome ; 22. Molybdena; 23. 

 Tunsten ; 24. Titanium ; 25. Uranium j 

 26. Columbium; 27. Tantalium ; 28. Ce- 

 rium. 



II. Primary compounds, or combination* 

 of two simple principles. 



1. Water, composed of oxygen and 

 hydrogen. 



2. Ammonia ; composed of hydrogen 

 and azote. And in this place we may 

 expect hereafter to place the other alka- 

 lies and earths. 



3. Oxides ; composed of combustible 

 principles, particularly metals, combined 

 with oxygen. These are, (a) oxides of 

 carbon ; as plumbago, common char- 

 coal, carbonic oxide of azote of sul- 

 phur, of phosphorus; and (6) of the 

 metals. 



4. Acids; combustibles, or metals 

 combined with a larger portion of oxy- 

 gen than exists in their oxides. The oxy- 

 genated substance is called the base of 

 the acid, and there are acids with two, 

 and perhaps more bases. Rejecting, for 

 the present, their modifications, arising 

 from more or less of oxygen, they are, 

 the sulphuric, nitric, muriatic, phospho- 

 ric, carbonic, fluoric, boracic, arsenic, 

 molybdic, chromic, tungstic, columbic, 

 acetic, benzoic, moroxylic, camphoric, 

 oxalic, meJlitic, tartaric, citric, sebacic, 

 saclactic, laccic, malic, suberic, formic, 

 prussic, gallic. 



5. Compounds of two incombustible 

 principles. These are either earths with 

 earths, ss in (a) pottery, which for the 



