268 On Chemical Nomenclature. 



by Berzelius an objection to the views which I have espoused, that 

 the halogen bodies, while forming acids with various metallic radicals 

 which oxygen does not acidify, do not form acids with sulphur, phos- 

 phorus, and arsenic which oxygen does acidify ; yet what is there in 

 this, more difficult to reconcile with the established results of chemical 

 combinations, than in the fact that oxygen forms with sulphur, phos- 

 phorus, and arsenic, strong acids, with hydrogen water ; while with 

 hydrogen the halogen bodies all form compounds which Berzelius 

 describes as having the highest pretensions to acidity. The highly 

 active acid properties of the fluorides of boron aud silicon, would 

 lead us to expect similar compounds to be formed by the same rad- 

 icals, with the other halogen bodies, contrary to experience. Chem- 

 istry makes us acquainted with many similar discordances. How 

 is it that oxygen forms aeriform compounds with an extremely fixed 

 body in the instance of carbon ; while in that of phosphorus or arsenic, 

 both volatilizable, it forms acids which are comparatively insuscepti- 

 ble of volatilization ? Wherefore does not hydrogen produce an acid 

 with phosphorus and arsenic, as well as with sulphur ? 



According to Berzelius, all the halogen bodies produce with hy- 

 drogen combinations which are as highly endowed with the attributes 

 of acidity, as the strongest acids into which oxygen enters as a con- 

 stituent. It is conceded in his letter that his language respecting 

 these combinations cannot be reconciled with his declaration in one 

 place that they do not combine with oxybases, and in another that a 

 body which cannot so combine is not an acid. It strikes me, that 

 the only way in which the admitted inconsistency of his description 

 of these bodies, with his definition of acidity, can be avoided, is by 

 assuming that they combine as acids with haloid bases, although de- 

 composed by oxybases. 



I will now proceed to comment on a new subject for consideration, 

 presented in Berzelius's letter in reply to mine. 



It must be evident that every oxysalt, composed of an oxacid and 

 an oxybase, must consist of an atom of each radical, and as many 

 atoms of oxygen as exist both in the acid and in the base. Thus 

 sulphate of potash consists of an atom of potassium, an atom of sul- 

 phur and four atoms of oxygen, and may be represented either by 

 SOOO KO or SOOOOK. 



Berzelius in his letter repeats an ingenious suggestion previously 

 advanced in his treatise, that SOOOO, (sulphur with four atoms of 

 oxygen,) may act, as a compound halogen body like cyanogen, and 



