BY DR. HARE. 
115 
phites, and hyposulphates, SO 2 , S 2 3 , S 2 5 ? SO 3 may, 
perhaps, with more propriety be considered as consisting of 
a compound radical, SO 2 , and oxygen, forming an oxide of 
sulphurous acid; but in a sulphite, anhydrous sulphuric 
acid, SO 3 becomes a species of oxysulphion itself, being as 
much the oxysulphion of the sulphites, as SO 4 is of the sul- 
phates. Of course SO 3 should have a direct affinity for 
radicals, contrary to fact. I presume that sulphites would 
have to be trioxysulphionides; hyposulphites, sesquioxy- 
sulphionides; sulphates, quadroxysulphionides; while the 
hyposulphates would, I suppose,, be demiquintoxysul- 
phionides!!! 
36. Analogous complication in nomenclature would arise 
in respect to the nitrites and nitrates, phosphites and phos- 
phates, arsenites and arseniates; also as respects the carbonic 
and oxalic acids. 
37. It is true that nature has not so made her bodies as 
that they can be separated into classes, between which any 
distinct line can be drawn: still it has been found advanta- 
geous to classify them to the best of our power. Accordingly 
it appears to me expedient, in the first place, to distinguish 
elements (or those compounds which act like them) accord- 
ing to their electro-chemical relations to each other, or 
their habitudes with the voltaic electrodes. Consistently, 
chemists have tacitly adopted the plan of treating the com- 
pounds formed by electro-negative elements with anions, 
as acids; those formed with cathions, as bases; while the 
combinations formed by the union of such acids and bases 
have been considered as simple salts. Thus four classes are 
constituted, consisting of electro-negative elements, of acids, 
bases, and single salts, while, by the union of the latter, a 
fifth class of double salts is formed. Whether the words 
acid, base, and salt, be adhered to, objectionable as they are 
in some respects, and especially the latter, or some others 
be contrived, it would seem to me disadvantageous to merge 
them in one name, pursuant to the views of the advocates of 
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