A translation of the table of chemical nomenclature / proposed by De Guyton, formerly De Morveau, Lavoisier, Bertholet, and De Fourcroy ; with additions and alterations ; to which are prefixed an explanation of the terms, and some observations on the new system of chemistry.

  • Guyton de Morveau, Louis-Bernard, 1737-1816.
Date:
1794
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A translation of the table of chemical nomenclature / proposed by De Guyton, formerly De Morveau, Lavoisier, Bertholet, and De Fourcroy ; with additions and alterations ; to which are prefixed an explanation of the terms, and some observations on the new system of chemistry. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Leeds Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Leeds Library.

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    bodies) may be denominated, fo as to import the moll effential pro- perties of the things which thefe terms are intended to fignify. The juft meaning, fimplicity, and brevity of the terms in thefe inftances arife from naming fubftances analogous in their composition by the fame term for the analogy and with an epithet to denote the diffe- rence. Hence the notion of the fuhftance will fuggeft the na^ne, and the name will fuggeft a juft notion of the fuhftance. A lan- guage fo formed is the only means by w'hich the mind is rendered equal to the comprehenfion and recolledlion of fuch an immenfe number of properties of fubftances as belong to chemiftry ; and this will furely be allowed by every perfon who will compare the eftedt of the terms above explained with the effedt of the terms in former nomenclatures ; which latter terms have no analogy to each other, however analogous the fubftances may be which thole terms were intended to fignify. In proportion to the advances towards perfection in fcience may the language of fcience be rendered more and more perfedt. Things are generally very imperfedtly known by thofe who firft obferve them, and confequently in general improper names are bellowed by the firft obfervers. The firft perfons known to have cultivated che- miftry were what we now diftinguifh by the name of Alchemifts, or Aftrologers, or Magicians. They lived in the dark ages of litera- ture, from about the ninth to the fourteenth century. They were but very imperfedtly acquainted with the chemical properties of molt fubftances, and from motives of vanity and pride, (and in order to commit frauds) they communicated their knowledge in metaphori- cal, bombaftic, and myftical language. Confiderable improvements were made in chemiftry during the fifteenth and fixteenth, and ef- pecially the feventeenth century, but the progrefs of it was far from proportioned to the progrefs of the other branches of natural phi-