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bined in nearly equal proportions, com- 
pose the metals; when the proportion 
of mercurial earth is very small, they com- 
pose stones ; when the fusible predominates, 
the resulting compounds are the precious 
stones ; when the sulphureous predominates, 
and the fusible is deiicient, the • compounds 
are the calorific earths : fusible earth and 
water compose a universal acid, very much 
resembling sulphuric acid, frown which all 
other acids derive their acidity; water, fu- 
sible earth, and mercurial earth, constitute 
common salt ; sulphureous earth, and the 
universal acid, form sulphur. 
Stahl modified the theory of Beecher con- 
siderably. He seems to have, admitted the 
universal acid as an element; the mercurial 
earth he at last discarded altogether ; and to 
the sulphureous earth he sometimes gave 
the name of phlogiston, sometimes of ether. 
Earths he considered as of different kinds, 
but containing all a certain element called 
earth. So that, according to him, there are 
five elements ; air, water, phlogiston, earth, 
and the universal acid. He speaks too of heat 
and light, but it is not clear what his opi- 
nion was respecting them. 
Stahl’s theory was gradually modified by- 
succeeding chemists. The universal acid 
was tacitly discarded, and the different known 
acids were considered as distinct undecom- 
posed or simple substances : the different 
earths were distinguished from each other, 
and all the metallic calces were considered 
as distinct substances. For these changes 
chemistry was chiefly indebted to Bergi'nan. 
While the French and German chemists 
were occupied with theories about the univer- 
sal acid, that illustrious philosopher, and his 
immortal friend and fellow-labourer Scheele, 
loudly proclaimed the necessity of consider- 
ing every" undecomposed body as simple till 
it has been decomposed, and of distinguish- 
ing all those substances from each other 
which possess distinct properties. These 
cautions, and the consequent arrangement 
of chemical bodies into distinct classes by 
Bergman, soon attracted attention, and were 
at last tacitly acceded to. 
Thus the elements of Stahl were in fact 
banished from the science of chemistry, and 
in place of them were substituted a great 
number of bodies which were considered as 
simple, because they had not been analysed. 
These were phlogiston, acids, alkalies, earths, 
metallic calces, water, and oxygen. The 
rules established by Bergman and Scheele 
are still followed . but subsequent discoveries 
have shewn that most of the bodies which 
they considered as simple are compounds; 
while several of their compounds are now 
placed among simple bodies, because the be- 
lie: in the existence of phlogiston, which they 
considered as a component part of these bo- 
dies, is now discarded. 
As the term simple substance in chemistry 
means nothing more than a body whose com- 
ponent parts are unknown, it cannot be 
doubted that, as the science advances to- 
wards perfection, many of those bodies which 
we consider at present as elementary will he 
decomposed, and most probably a new set of 
elementary bodies will come into view, of 
which we are at present ignorant. These 
may be decomposed in their turn, and new 
simple bodies discovered; till at last, when 
the science reaches the highest point of per- 
fection, those really simple and elementary 
bodies will come into view of which all sub- 
stances are ultimately composed. When this 
happens, (if it is not above the reach of the 
human intellect) the number of simple sub- 
stances will probably be much smaller than 
at present. Indeed it has been the opinion 
of many distinguished philosophers in all 
ages, that there is only one kind of matter ; 
and that the difference which we perceive 
between bodies depends upon varieties in the 
figure, size, and density of the primary atoms 
when grouped together. This opinion was 
adopted by Newton, and Boscovieh has built 
upon it an exceedingly ingenious and instruc- 
tive theory. 
We must observe, however, that this opi- 
nion is mere hypothesis', wholly unsupported 
by fact and experiment; and indeed ail ex- 
periment may be said hitherto to be directly 
against it. ] n the present state of science, 
the following may be regarded as simple or 
elementary substances, and we have little 
doubt that many of them will ultimately 
prove'sueh. 
Dr. Thomson makes out the number of 
simple substances at present known to be 
about 33, and these he divides into two 
classes. The bodies belonging to the first 
class can be confined in proper vessels, and 
exhibited in a separate state ; these he calls 
confinable bodies. Those which belong to 
the second class are of too subtile a nature to 
be confined by any vessels that we possess: 
they cannot therefore be exhibited in a sepa- 
rate state, and their existence is inferred 
merely from certain phenomena, which the 
first class of bodies and their compounds 
exhibit in particular circumstances; these he 
denominates unconfinable bodies. It is evi- 
dent that a person must be acquainted with 
the properties of the first set of bodies before 
he can investigate the second. 
Table of simple substances. 
I. Confinable bodies. 
1 . Oxygen 
‘2. Simple combustibles Sulphur 
Phosphorus 
Carbon or Diamond 
Hydrogen 
3. Sim. incombustibles Azote or Nitrogen 
Muriatic acid 
4. Metals Gold 
Platinum 
Silver 
Mercury 
Copper 
Iron 
Tin 
Lead 
N ickel 
Zinc 
Bismuth 
Antimony 
Tellurium 
Arsenic 
Cobalt 
Manganese 
Tungsten 
Molybdenum 
Uranium 
Titanium 
Chromium 
Columbian! 
Tantahum 
4112 
5. Alkalies Potass C or vegetable and 
6. Earths Soda ( mineral alkalies. 
The vegetable and 
mineral alkalies, and 
some of the earths, 
are supposed to be 
compounds, though 
they have not yet 
been analyzed: these 
of course, belong to 
the 1st classs, viz. 
confinable bodies. 
Barytes 
Strontian 
Lime 
Magnesia 
( Alumina 
Yttria 
Glucina 
Zirconia 
.Silica. 
II. Unconfinable bodies. 
Light 
Caloric 
Electricity 
Magnetism. 
ELENCIIUS, in logic, a sophism, or fal- 
lacious argument, which deceives the hearer 
under the appearance of truth. 
ELEPHAS, the elephant, a genus of 
the mammalia class, of the order bruta. r I he 
generic character is, cutting-teeth none in 
either jaw; tusks in the upper jaw; probos- 
cis very long, prehensile ; body nearly 
naked. 
1. The elephas maximus, the groat pie- 
plant. The stupendous size, strength, and 
sagacity of the elephant, have, in all ages, 
rendered it the admiration of mankind. 
Though possessed of power superior to every 
other quadruped, it is guiltless of unprovoked 
violence, and wanders about the woods of 
Asia and Africa in a state of majestic mild- 
. ness. Elephants are naturally gregarious. 
Large troops assemble together, and live in 
a kind of society. They feed only on ve- 
getables. The elephant is generally of a 
deep ash-coloured brown, or nearly blackish ; 
but in some parts of India it is said to be 
found, though very rarely, of a white colour. 
In the young animals the tusks are not vi- 
sible : in the more advanced slate of growth 
they are extremely conspicuous: and in the 
full-grown animal they advance several feet 
from the mouths of their sockets : it is but 
rarely that the tusks are seen in the females ; 
and when they appear, they art 1 but small, 
and their direction is rather downwards than 
upwards : this is also the case in some speci- 
mens of the male elephant, so that there ap- 
pears to be some variation in this respect in 
different individuals. Tusks have sometimes 
been seen upwards of ten feet long ; particu- 
larly from the Mozambique and Cochin- 
china. 
The teeth which are imported into Eu- 
rope are generally from Africa, where they 
are frequently found in the woods. Instan- 
ces have sometimes occurred, in which, on 
sawing a tooth, a brass bullet lias been found 
completely imbedded in the central part of 
the tooth ; the ivory having gradually grown 
over it, and inclosed it. 
The elephant is undoubtedly the largest 
of all terrestrial animals, arriving at the height 
•of twelve feet, though the more general 
height seems to be from nine to ten feet. 
Elepliants are commonly found in the midst 
of shady woods, being equally averse to ex- 
treme heat as to cold : they delight in cool 
•spots, near rivers, and frequently bathe them- 
selves in the water, and even roll in the mud. 
They are also capable of swimming with 
great ease. Their general food consists of 
