66 System of Chemistry, by Prof. Berzelius. 



which is common to both languages, is, by Thenard, and other emi- 

 nent French authors, restricted to the binary compounds of oxygen, 

 which are not acid. Analogous compounds formed with the "halo- 

 gene'^ elements, chlorine, bromine, fluorine, iodine, cyanogen, &;c., 

 have by the same writer been designated by the termination in ure. 

 Thus we have in his work, chlorures, bromures, fluorures, iodures, 

 cyanures. Some of the most eminent chemists in Great Britain, 

 have distinguished the elements called halogene, by Berzelius, to- 

 gether with oxygen, as supporters of combustion ; and have designa- 

 ted the binary compounds made with them, when not acid, by the 

 same termination as the analogous compounds of oxygen. Accord- 

 ingly in their writings, instead of the names above mentioned, we have 

 chlorides, bromides, fluorides, iodides. In Henry's Chemistry, cya- 

 nure is represented by cyanide ; in Thomson's, by cyanodide, and in 

 Brande's and Turner's, by cyanuret. 



The term wre/, equivalent as above mentioned to the French U7-e, 

 is restricted by the English chemists to the compounds formed by 

 non-metallic combustibles, either with each other, or with metals. 

 Hence we have in English, sulphurets, phosphurets, carburets, boru- 

 rets, for sulphures, phosphures, carbures, borures, in French. 



Berzelius classes as electronegative, all those substances which go 

 to the positive pole when isolated, or when in union tvith oxygen^, 

 while all substances are by him treated as electropositive which go to 

 the negative pole, either when isolated, or when in union with oxy- 

 gen.* (See Vol. 1st, page 201.) 



According to his nomenclature, when both the ingredients in a bina- 

 ry compound belong to the class of bodies by him designated as elec- 

 tronegative, th^ termination in ide, is to be applied to the more elec- 

 tronegative ingredient; but where one of the ingredients belongs to 

 his list of electropositive bodies, the termination in ure, (uret, in 



* The term isolated is employed to convey an idea of the state in which the ele- 

 ments of water are, when after having been separated by the voltaic wires, they 

 are severally on their way to their appropriate poles, that is, the oxygen proceeding 

 to the positive pole, and the hydrogen to the nes:ative pole. Each element is, in that 

 case, isolated, and obedient to the attractive influence of one of the poles. When a 

 salt containing an oxacid and an oxybase, is decomposed, the acid will go to the pos- 

 itive, and the base to the negative pole. The radical of the acid, in consequence of 

 its not counteracting the propensity of the oxygen for the positive pole, is deemed 

 electronegative ; while the radical of the base overcoming that propensity, is deem- 

 ed electropositive. 



