On Chemical JVomenclature. 261 



in their properties; that no method of defining a salt had been devised, 

 which had not been founded either on properties or composition ; that 

 in the nomenclature of Berzelius properties were disregarded, since 

 among his haloid and amphide salts were found substances, differing 

 extremely in this respect. Thus, for instance, common salt Glauber's, 

 salt, Epsom salt, vitriolated tartar, and cream of tartar, were associated 

 with the fuming liquor of Libavius, the butyraceous chlorides of zinc, 

 antimony, and bismuth, plumbum corneum, luna cornea, fluor spar, 

 and the acid fluorides of silicon and boron. I objected also that 

 composition could not be resorted to consistently with his classifica- 

 tion ; since, agreeably to it, a salt might be either a binary com- 

 pound of a halogeri body with a radical, or consist of two binary 

 compounds, each containing the same amphigen body. 



To the terms acid and base, as employed in his nomenclature, I 

 objected, that neither by the celebrated author, nor by any other 

 chemist had any definition been adhered to which could, consistent- 

 ly with his plan, restrict the meaning of those appellations to ihe bi- 

 nary compounds formed by the union of his amphigen bodies with 

 radicals. 



Acidity and basidity* had sometimes been distinguished by an 

 appeal to properties, sometimes to composition, but to neither had 

 there been any consistent attention. In order to demonstrate the 

 total neglect of properties latterly displayed, it was only necessary 

 to contrast substances bearing generally the name of acids ; as for 

 instance sulphuric acid with rock crystal, acetic acid with tannin, 

 and prussic acid with margaric ; or to contemplate simultaneously 

 the admission of the hydracids formed with the halogen bodies into 

 the class of acids, while alleged incapable of combining with bases, 

 with the exclusion from that class of nitrous acid, upon the plea of 

 the same incapacity. 



In reference to neglect of composition in forming the class of 

 acids, it will be sufficient to advert to the association in that class, 

 of compounds formed with radicals both by the halogen and amphi- 

 gen bodies ; so that the halogen bodies are in one case producers of 

 salts, in the other producers of acids ; in one case act as supporters, 

 acidifiers, or electro-negative principles, in another as radicals to the 

 comparatively electro-positive hydrogen, pre-eminently a radical by 



* For the use of the words basidity and salidity, I have no authority; but con- 

 ceive that through their analogy with acidity, their meaning is so obvious as to 

 make it expedient to employ them. 



