An effort to refute the arguments advanced in favour of the existence in the amphide salts, of radicals : consisting, like cyanogen, of more than one element / by Robert Hare.

  • Hare, Robert, 1781-1858.
Date:
1842
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An effort to refute the arguments advanced in favour of the existence in the amphide salts, of radicals : consisting, like cyanogen, of more than one element / by Robert Hare. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    3. It may be expedient to take this opportunity of mentioning, that the advocates of this new view, disadvantageous^, as I think, employ the word radical, to designate the electro-negative, as well as the electro-positive in- gredient. Agreeably to the nomenclature of Berzelius, the former would be a compound halogen body. Cyanogen being analogous, is by him placed in the halogen class. I shall, therefore, in speaking of salt radicals improperly so called, employ the appellation contrived by the great Swedish chemist. 4. It seems, however, to be conceded, that however plausible may be the reasons for inferring the existence of halogen bodies in the amphide salts, it would be inexpedient to make a corresponding change in nomenclature, on account of the great inconvenience which must arise from the conse- quent change of names. 5. Under these circumstances, it may be well to consider how far there is any necessity for adopting hypothetical views, to which it would be so disadvantageous to accommodate the received language of chemists. In the strictures on the Berzelian nomenclature, which drew from Berzelius the suggestions contained in the quotation at the foot of the preceding page, I stated it to be my impression that water should be considered as acting in some cases as an oxybase, in others as an oxacid; and, in my ex- amination of his reply,* I observed that hydrous sulphuric acid might he considered as a sulphate of hydrogen, and that when this acid reacts with zinc or iron, the proneness of hydrogen to the aeriform state ena- bles either metal to take its place, agreeably to the established laws of affinity. 6. There appears to have been a coincidence of opinion between Kane, Graham, Gregory, and myself, as respects the electro-positive relation of hydrogen to the amphigen and halogen elements, which I have designated collectively as the basacigen class; also in the impression that hydrogen acts like a metallic radical, its oxide, water, performing the part of a base. I agree perfectly with Gregory in considering that hydrated acids may be considered as hydrogen salts. But when the learned editor proceeds to allege that acids and salts, as respects their constitution, will form one class, I consider him, and those who sanction this allegation, as founding an error upon an oversight. Because the salts of hydrogen, or such as have water for their base, have heretofore been erroneously called acids, we are henceforth to confound salts with acids, and, instead of correcting one wrong name, cause all others to conform thereto ! 7. I fully concur with Gregory and Kane, in considering that water in hydrous sulphuric acid, in nitric acid, chloric acid, and in organic acids, generally acts as a base; also, that in this basic water hydrogen performs a part perfectly analogous to that of a metallic radical; but, agreeably to by formulae. In KFF (fluoride of potassium), there is but one single line of substi- tution, that is to say, that of K|FF; whilst in KOOOOS (sulphate of potash) there are two, K|OOOOS and KO|OOOS, of which we use the first in replacing one metal by another, for instance, copper by iron ; and the second in replacing one ox- ide by another. 1 do not know what value you may attach to this development of the constitu- tion of the oxysalts (which applies equally to the sulphosalts and others); but as to myself, I have a thorough conviction that there is therein something more than a vague speculation, since it unfolds to us an internal analogy in phenomena, which, agreeably to the perception of our senses, are extremely analogous. * Silliman's Journal, Vol. 27, for 1835, page 61.