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REMARKS  ON  CHEMICAL  NOMENCLATURE. 
The  authors  believe  a  certain  class  of  organic  decompositions 
require  mere  contact  of  oxygen,  as  for  instance,  the  formation 
of  lactic  acid  in  milk,  and  the  putrefaction  of  fresh  meat  and  of 
casein  ;  whilst  in  another  class,  the  presence  of  certain  unknown 
matters  [microscopic  infusorial  plant  germs,]  which  are  capable 
of  separation  by  filtering  or  of  being  destroyed  by  heat,  are 
necessary  to  commence  the  change. 
REMARKS  ON  CHEMICAL  NOMENCLATURE. 
By  J.  Cheston  Morris,  M.D. 
Among  the  great  improvements  of  the  day  in  chemistry,  we 
have  always  been  taught  to  look  upon  the  perfect  system  of  no- 
menclature now  in  universal  use  as  holding  the  first  rank.  Cer- 
tainly nothing  can  be  more  important  to  us  than  a  well-defined 
language,  one  which  there  is  no  reasonable  chance  of  our  mis- 
understanding, if  we  wish  to  have  the  advantage  of  comparing 
the  results  and  reaping  the  benefits  of  the  observation  and  labors 
of  chemists  throughout  the  scientific  world.  There  is,  however, 
a  looseness  of  expression  creeping  up  in  various  quarters,  which, 
if  generally  indulged  in,  will  very  much  obscure  the  whole  sub- 
ject of  chemical  formulae.  This  will  be  best  seen  by  first  citing 
the  law  and  then  calling  attention  to  the  infractions. 
A  neutral  salt  is  defined  to  be  one  which  contains  one  equiva- 
lent of  acid  for  every  equivalent  of  oxygen  in  the  base,  as 
KO,  SOo,  or  Fe  0,  S03.  Salts  containing  more  than  this  proportion 
of  acid  are  called  super-salts,  per-salts,  (or  if  there  be  just  twice 
the  quantity  of  acid,  bi-salts :)  those  containing  less  are  called 
sub-salts. 
The  state  of  oxidation  of  the  base  commonly  enters  into  the 
name  of  the  salt  when  there  are  several  oxides,  as,  for  in- 
stance, proto-sulphate  of  iron,  Fe  0,  $03,  sesqui-sulphate  of  iron, 
Fe2  03,  3S03. 
These  remarks  were  suggested  by  hearing  a  scientific  man  of 
the  highest  standing  in  our  midst  make  use  of  the  term,  "  per- 
sesqui-chloride  of  iron  ;"  when  asked  for  the  formula  of  which,  he 
gave  Fe2  Cl3.  Is  this  correct  ?  On  turning  to  Wood  and  Cache's 
Dispensatory,  page  1008,  a  crystallised  form  of  per-nitrate  of 
iron  is  noticed,  as  described  by  Mr.  Ordway,  of  Massachusetts, 
and  called  ter-nitrate  of  the  sesqui-oxide.  By  the  rules  above 
laid  down,  the  formula  of  this  salt  should  be  Fe2  03,  9  N05,  but 
