EPOCH OF THE THEORY OF OXYGEN. 149 



but the general acceptance of the new opinion did 

 not take place till later. 



Sect. 2. Reception and Confirmation of the Theory 

 of Oxygen, 



THE oxygen . theory made its way with extraordi- 

 nary rapidity among the best philosophers 6 . In 

 1785, that is, soon after Cavendish's synthesis of 

 water had removed some of the most formidable 

 objections to it, Berthollet, already an eminent che- 

 mist, declared himself a convert. Indeed it was 

 soon so generally adopted in France, that Fourcroy 

 promulgated its doctrines under the name of " La 

 Chimie Franchise," a title which Lavoisier did not 

 altogether relish. The extraordinary eloquence and 

 success of Fourcroy as a lecturer at the Jardin des 

 Plantes, had no small share in the diffusion of the 

 oxygen theory ; and the name of " the apostle of 

 the new chemistry" which was at first given him in 

 ridicule, was justly held by him to be a glorious 

 distinction 7 . 



Guyton de Morveau, who had at first been a 

 strenuous advocate of the phlogistic theory, was 

 invited to Paris, and brought over to the opinions 

 of Lavoisier; and soon joined in the formation of 

 the nomenclature founded upon the theory. This 

 step, of which we shall shortly speak, fixed the 

 new doctrine, and diffused it further. Delametheric 



6 Thomson, ii. 130. r Cuvicr, Wogcs, i. p. 20. 



