1018 Transactions of tee American Institute. 



of the vowels a, e, t, o and u, equal to 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, respectively. 

 In following out this primary idea, I had endeavored to frame a 

 nomenclature in which the names employed should indicate the 

 composition of the bodies. I obtained in this manner, ethene, 

 ohloresthase, chloresthese, chloride of chloresthase, ethum, oxide of 

 ethene, ethous acid, ethic acid, chlorethisic acid, &c., which are 

 undoubtedly quite as convenient as the corresponding names, 

 liicarburetted hydrogen, chloride of aldehydene, aldehydic acid, 

 chloracetic acid, &c. 



" Nevertheless I arrived, unfortunately, at several names of the 

 following description: amachlorephemusic acid, sulfindate of sulfe- 

 chlorindilum, chlor6-illose, &c., which although not more barbarous 

 than the hypersulphomolybdate of potash, or the susphorrinidinous 

 subhypochlorite, had not any chance of being accepted by chemists. 



"The nomenclature of Gmeliu has certain analogies with mine, 

 inasmuch as the letters which compose names have a numerical 

 value; but these letters have another advantage, namely, that of 

 designating the actual substances which enter into each comlnna- 

 tion. Here, again, and even to a greater degree than in my system, 

 do we arrive at names so extraordinary, that notwithstanding their 

 brevity, they have not any chance of being adopted." 



It is quite evident from this quotation that Laurent did not pro^ 

 duce any feasible system of names. The peculiar feature in 

 Gmelin's plan which he did not and could not elaborate, but which 

 was thus commended by Laurent, originated with me, and was 

 used here several years before its publication in Europe. Further- 

 more, I have avoided the errors made by Gmelin in the outset, 

 and which prevented him from applying his proposed system even 

 to the more important chemical compounds. Gmelin having made 

 certain consonants represent certain elements, should not have used 

 those consonants except for that purpose. Introducmg new names 

 into organic chemistry without regard to this cardinal point, 

 increased its complexity; and the author, foreseeing that the result 

 would be a jargon, wisely abandoned his scheme. In my new 

 names for organic compounds and for all combinations of non- 

 metallic elements, each vowel and consonant has a definite and 

 invariable meaniuir. Usiufj the well known names of the metals 

 abbreviated so as to form a word of only two syllables, enabled me 

 to combine them with non-metallic elements in an intelligible man- 

 ner. The compound indicated was thus designated by a single 

 word. In a few cases whore two or more metals were found in 



