1212. CHEMISTRY, Nomenclature.—[further continued].
A schism has taken place among the chemists. A particular set of
them in France have undertaken to remodel
all the terms of the science, and to give to
every substance a new name, the composition,
and especially the termination of which, shall
define the relation in which it stands to other
substances of the same family. But the
science seems too much in its infancy as yet,
for this reformation; because in fact, the
reformation of this year must be reformed
again the next year, and so on, changing the
names of substances as often as new experiments
develop properties in them undiscovered
before. The new nomenclature has, accordingly,
been already proved to need numerous
and important reformations. * * *
It is espoused by the minority only here, and
by very few, indeed, of the foreign chemists.
It is particularly rejected in England.—
To Dr. Willard. Washington ed. iii, 15.
(P.
1789)
