the species: Oak was called Quercus robur and the brown bear Ursus arctos. This
binomial nomenclature was used extensively in his Species Plantarum, published
1753, where he listed all known plants, and in the tenth edition of Systema Naturae,
published in 1758–1759. Although Linnaeus was young and had no particular
authority to suggest a new nomenclature when he published his Critica Botanica,
he rapidly gained reputation and by the turn of the century, his binomial nomenclature had become a worldwide standard. This was simply because no one could
provide a better system.
26.3 Bergman’s Early Thoughts on Nomenclature
Bergman was well fitted to reform the language of chemistry. His biological
background and early contacts with Linnaeus enabled him to take influences from
botany, rather than alchemy, pharmacy, or mining, as other chemists probably
would have done. In Linnaeus’ system, he saw a possibility to name chemical
substances based on their constituents rather than their properties. Bergman was of
course also familiar with Macquer’s Dictionnaire, and thus his proposals for a
reformed nomenclature [8, 9].
Bergman first criticised the chemical nomenclature publicly in a paper on
mercury chlorides published in 1772 [9]. Bergman objected to the name Calomel,
an ancient name for mercury(I) chloride. Although the compound is white, the
name suggests a black substance (jakό1 = beautiful and lέka1 = black in Greek),
possibly referring to the black colour arising on treatment of mercury(I) chloride
with aqueous ammonia.
26.4 Bergman’s Work on Nomenclature in 1775
It was in 1775 that Bergman started to work on a reformation in chemical
nomenclature. That year, he published a number of publications where he criticised
the chemical nomenclature and started to apply a Linnaean binomial nomenclature
in chemistry.
In late 1775, Bergman published The Chemical Lectures of H.T. Scheffer of with
his own additions, notes and comments. In this book, Bergman made several
comments on nomenclature: “Absurd names are ought to be known to their
meaning, but should not be retained, and after hand replaced by others, which have
been selected on good grounds. Consequently, I call oil of vitriol [i.e. H 2 SO 4 ]
concentrated vitriolic acid, and its spiritus I call diluted vitriolic acid” [10]. Later in
the book, in the chapter on neutral salts, Bergman wrote:
Neutral and middle salts, that have been known since old times, have received absurd
names, mostly due to false imaginations either due to their special use in medicine and
alchemy, or their compositions etc., which will be obvious from many examples in the
26.2 The Reform of Nomenclature in Botany
357
binomial nomenclature was used extensively in his Species Plantarum, published
1753, where he listed all known plants, and in the tenth edition of Systema Naturae,
published in 1758–1759. Although Linnaeus was young and had no particular
authority to suggest a new nomenclature when he published his Critica Botanica,
he rapidly gained reputation and by the turn of the century, his binomial nomenclature had become a worldwide standard. This was simply because no one could
provide a better system.
26.3 Bergman’s Early Thoughts on Nomenclature
Bergman was well fitted to reform the language of chemistry. His biological
background and early contacts with Linnaeus enabled him to take influences from
botany, rather than alchemy, pharmacy, or mining, as other chemists probably
would have done. In Linnaeus’ system, he saw a possibility to name chemical
substances based on their constituents rather than their properties. Bergman was of
course also familiar with Macquer’s Dictionnaire, and thus his proposals for a
reformed nomenclature [8, 9].
Bergman first criticised the chemical nomenclature publicly in a paper on
mercury chlorides published in 1772 [9]. Bergman objected to the name Calomel,
an ancient name for mercury(I) chloride. Although the compound is white, the
name suggests a black substance (jakό1 = beautiful and lέka1 = black in Greek),
possibly referring to the black colour arising on treatment of mercury(I) chloride
with aqueous ammonia.
26.4 Bergman’s Work on Nomenclature in 1775
It was in 1775 that Bergman started to work on a reformation in chemical
nomenclature. That year, he published a number of publications where he criticised
the chemical nomenclature and started to apply a Linnaean binomial nomenclature
in chemistry.
In late 1775, Bergman published The Chemical Lectures of H.T. Scheffer of with
his own additions, notes and comments. In this book, Bergman made several
comments on nomenclature: “Absurd names are ought to be known to their
meaning, but should not be retained, and after hand replaced by others, which have
been selected on good grounds. Consequently, I call oil of vitriol [i.e. H 2 SO 4 ]
concentrated vitriolic acid, and its spiritus I call diluted vitriolic acid” [10]. Later in
the book, in the chapter on neutral salts, Bergman wrote:
Neutral and middle salts, that have been known since old times, have received absurd
names, mostly due to false imaginations either due to their special use in medicine and
alchemy, or their compositions etc., which will be obvious from many examples in the
26.2 The Reform of Nomenclature in Botany
357