326 
SELECTED ARTICLES. 
say, "quoniam nobis persuasum est rei cujusque iiomen id 
demum certissimum et stabillisimum fore, quod artis suae 
principes imposuerint." Now, like Dr. Franklin, when we 
get a good principle we like to go through with it; "the name 
is the most certain and permanent which is imposed by the 
principles of the art itself" Very well. So we have " cupri 
ammonio-sulphas:" "ferri ammonio-chloridum " ferri po- 
tassio-tartras "ferri sesquioxydum:" "hydrargyri ammo- 
nio-chloridum." But why call yellow prussiate of potash 
"potassii ferro cyanidum ?" It should be, according to their 
own rule, ferri potassio cyanidum. And again, do the prin- 
ciples of the science impose names inconsistent with chemical 
composition ? Is there any reason to believe the " ferri 
ammonio-chloridum" to be a chemical compound ? One 
atom of acid to fifty of base, would be a new fact in chemical 
combination. An oxide of iron containing twelve or fifteen 
per cent, of protocarbonate, has not been hitherto considered 
a very pure sample of sesquioxide. Sal alembroth cannot 
certainly be the compound intended by the "hydrargyri 
ammonio-chloridum," and yet we know of no other deserving 
of the name. Mr. Hennell considered white precipitate to 
be a compound of peroxide of mercury and sal ammoniac. 
And our friend. Dr. Kane, supposes it to be a combination of 
bichloride of mercury with amiduret of mercury; but neither 
view will license the pharmacopoeial title. Again, prussian 
blue is not a percyanide of iron, but a mixture of both cya- 
nides. But, really, it is too absurd, in the present state of 
chemical nomenclature, to put the profession to the trouble of 
altering the names of almost every medicine. Scarcely two 
writers on chemistry are agreed with respect to nomenclature; 
what one calls " sesquioxide of iron," another calls " ferric 
oxide;" what one names "hydrargyri ammonio-chloridum," 
another styles "chloro hydrargyrate of ammonium;" and 
others, " the double chloride of mercury and ammonium." 
Very little doubt remains on the minds of many chemists, 
that the compounds, hitherto called " hydracids," are actually 
bases, like the haloid salts of iron or zinc. 
