14 



Prof. W. A. Miller on Chemical Nomenclature. 



often been given to the same substance. Tetrapotassic ferro- 

 cyanide and tripotassic ferricyanide, though scientifically express- 

 ing the views now entertained regarding the salts they repre- 

 sent, will never supersede the commercial names of yellow and 

 of red prussiate of potash ; and muriatic acid will probably long 

 maintain its ground against hydrochloric or chlorhydric acid, 

 or its newer equivalent hydric chloride. 



The point that I wish here to insist upon is this : — If a scien- 

 tific name be imposed on any compound, it should be strictly 

 systematic and correctly expressive of composition, provided it 

 professes to convey any knowledge at all of the composition of 

 the body to which it is assigned. The formation and occasional 

 or frequent use of such names is not intended to exclude the 

 cnployment of other arbitrary but already-admitted terms for 

 the same substance, whenever the use of such arbitrary names 

 may appear to be expedient. 



The following Table affords examples of some of the more 

 important applications of the changes proposed. 





Oxides. 





Chlorides. 



K 2 

 K 2 4 

 TPO 

 BaO 



BaO 2 



APO 3 



ZnO 

 CoO 

 FeO 



Fe 2 3 



CrO 

 Cr 2 3 



CrO 3 



\ Potash. 



( Dipotassic oxide. 



j Peroxide of potassium. 



j Dipotassic tetroxide. 



j Oxide of thallium. 



) Dithallic oxide. 



i Baryta. 



j Baric oxide. 



( Peroxide of barium. 

 ( Baric dioxide. 



\ Alumina. 



j Aluminic sesquioxide. 



I Oxide of zinc. 

 ) Zincic, or zinc oxide. 

 i Protoxide of cobalt. 

 j Cobaltous oxide. 

 i Protoxide of iron. 

 | Ferrous oxide. 



\ Sesquioxide of iron. 

 ) Ferric sesquioxide. 



j Protoxide of chromium. 

 j Chromous oxide. 

 \ Sesquioxide of chromium. 

 ( Chromic sesquioxide. 



Chromicacid (anhydride). 

 1 Chromic trioxide, or 

 ( Chromic oxyl. 



NaCl 

 TlCl 

 TICP 

 BaCP 



NH 4 C1 



AP CP 



ZnCP 

 CoCP 



FeCP 



Fe 2 CP 

 CrCP 



Cr 2 CP 



j Chloride of sodium. 



) Sodic chloride. 



J Chloride of thallium. 



( Thallic chloride. 



1 Terchloride of thallium. 



f Thallic trichloride. 



i Chloride of barium. 



( Baric dichloride. 



1 Hydrochlorate of ammonia. 



< Ammonia hydrochlorate, 

 ( or Ammonic chloride. 



1 Chloride of aluminum. 



< Aluminic trichloride, or 



( Dialuminic hexachloride. 

 J Chloride of zinc. 

 ) Zincic dichloride. 

 J Chloride of cobalt. 

 | Cobaltous dichloride. 

 j Protochloride of iron. 

 j Ferrous dichloride. 

 Sesquichloride of iron. 



< Ferric trichloride, or 



( Diferric hexachloride. 



1 Protochloride of chromium 



) Chromous dichloride. 



[um. 

 ( Sesquichloride of chromi- 



< Chromic trichloride, or 



( Dichromic hexachloride. 



