following. If we took some common denominations in consideration, could all other be
named and designated on the same basis. One would then name first the base or the alkaline
part with an addition designating with which acid it is combined. Consequently, could
alkali vegetabile vitriolatum [K 2 SO 4 ] be a useful designation for what otherwise has the
absurd name tartarus vitriolatus […]. [11]
Thus, Bergman devised a system of naming salts that was analogous to
Linnaeus’ system for naming plants and animals; a Latin name in two parts giving
the name of the base and the acid. He included a table of names of metal salts of a
number of different acids [12]. In the case of sulphuric acid, for some reason, he
used Swedish names for the salts constructed from the name of the metal followed
by the word vitriol. For the other acids, he used binomial names in Latin, e.g.
argentum nitratum, argentum salitum, argentum acetatum and argentum formicatum for silver nitrate, silver chloride, silver acetate and silver formate, respectively.
Still, he retained old names for a few salts, e.g. saccharum saturni for lead acetate.
In the second volume of Nova Acta Regiæ Societatis Scientiarum Upsaliensis,
Bergman published an extensive Latin paper on carbonic acid (Chap. 18) [13].
Worth noting is that, although the title page says 1775, the printing was delayed to
1776 [14]. When Bergman described the salts of carbonic acid, he wrote:
[…] they may not improperly be called aerated vegetable alkali [Alkali vegetabile aëratum
in the original text, i.e. Na 2 CO 3 ], as those salts which are saturated with vitriolic acid are
distinguished by the term vitriolated [“vitriolata” in the original text], joined to the name of
that base with which the acid is united. – All substances saturated with fixed air [CO 2 ]
I shall call hereafter, for brevity sake, aerated [“aëratas” in the original text], thereby
indicating that they contain that acid which is always present in common air. [15]
In other words, Bergman suggested taking the name of the acid, turn it into an
adjective and add it to the name of the base. Thus, he arrived at the following names
for the salts he studied: Alkali vegetalbile aëratum (potassium carbonate),
Alkali minerale aëratum (sodium carbonate), Alkali volatile aëratum (ammonium
carbonate), Terra ponderosa aërata (barium carbonate), Calx aërata (calcium
carbonate), Magnesia aërata (magnesium carbonate), Argilla aërata (aluminium
carbonate), Ferrum aëratum (iron carbonate), Zincum aëratum (zinc carbonate) and
Magnesium aëratum (manganese carbonate). This type of names works well in
Latin but is less suitable for translation to living languages (as is evident from the
English translation above), but Bergman’s intension was never to have the names
translated but to use the Latin names as an international standard, just as in botany.
Before Bergman, there was only one widespread example of such a binomial Latin
name in chemistry: Tartarus vitriolatus (potassium sulphate).
Directly after the paper on carbon dioxide, the famous paper On Elective
Attractions follows [16]. Here, Bergman extended his nomenclature to include
other acids than carbonic acid, and one can find names such as calx salita (calcium
chloride) and calx vitriolata (calcium sulphate), but there is still no systematic use
of binomial nomenclature. A more systematic use of the new nomenclature is found
in the dissertation On Magnesia alba which was defended by Carl Norell on
December 23, 1775 [17]. The magnesium salts he studied were Magnesia aërata
(carbonate), Magnesia vitriolata (sulphate), Magnesia nitrata (nitrate), Magnesia
358
26 Bergman’s Contribution to Chemical Nomenclature
named and designated on the same basis. One would then name first the base or the alkaline
part with an addition designating with which acid it is combined. Consequently, could
alkali vegetabile vitriolatum [K 2 SO 4 ] be a useful designation for what otherwise has the
absurd name tartarus vitriolatus […]. [11]
Thus, Bergman devised a system of naming salts that was analogous to
Linnaeus’ system for naming plants and animals; a Latin name in two parts giving
the name of the base and the acid. He included a table of names of metal salts of a
number of different acids [12]. In the case of sulphuric acid, for some reason, he
used Swedish names for the salts constructed from the name of the metal followed
by the word vitriol. For the other acids, he used binomial names in Latin, e.g.
argentum nitratum, argentum salitum, argentum acetatum and argentum formicatum for silver nitrate, silver chloride, silver acetate and silver formate, respectively.
Still, he retained old names for a few salts, e.g. saccharum saturni for lead acetate.
In the second volume of Nova Acta Regiæ Societatis Scientiarum Upsaliensis,
Bergman published an extensive Latin paper on carbonic acid (Chap. 18) [13].
Worth noting is that, although the title page says 1775, the printing was delayed to
1776 [14]. When Bergman described the salts of carbonic acid, he wrote:
[…] they may not improperly be called aerated vegetable alkali [Alkali vegetabile aëratum
in the original text, i.e. Na 2 CO 3 ], as those salts which are saturated with vitriolic acid are
distinguished by the term vitriolated [“vitriolata” in the original text], joined to the name of
that base with which the acid is united. – All substances saturated with fixed air [CO 2 ]
I shall call hereafter, for brevity sake, aerated [“aëratas” in the original text], thereby
indicating that they contain that acid which is always present in common air. [15]
In other words, Bergman suggested taking the name of the acid, turn it into an
adjective and add it to the name of the base. Thus, he arrived at the following names
for the salts he studied: Alkali vegetalbile aëratum (potassium carbonate),
Alkali minerale aëratum (sodium carbonate), Alkali volatile aëratum (ammonium
carbonate), Terra ponderosa aërata (barium carbonate), Calx aërata (calcium
carbonate), Magnesia aërata (magnesium carbonate), Argilla aërata (aluminium
carbonate), Ferrum aëratum (iron carbonate), Zincum aëratum (zinc carbonate) and
Magnesium aëratum (manganese carbonate). This type of names works well in
Latin but is less suitable for translation to living languages (as is evident from the
English translation above), but Bergman’s intension was never to have the names
translated but to use the Latin names as an international standard, just as in botany.
Before Bergman, there was only one widespread example of such a binomial Latin
name in chemistry: Tartarus vitriolatus (potassium sulphate).
Directly after the paper on carbon dioxide, the famous paper On Elective
Attractions follows [16]. Here, Bergman extended his nomenclature to include
other acids than carbonic acid, and one can find names such as calx salita (calcium
chloride) and calx vitriolata (calcium sulphate), but there is still no systematic use
of binomial nomenclature. A more systematic use of the new nomenclature is found
in the dissertation On Magnesia alba which was defended by Carl Norell on
December 23, 1775 [17]. The magnesium salts he studied were Magnesia aërata
(carbonate), Magnesia vitriolata (sulphate), Magnesia nitrata (nitrate), Magnesia
358
26 Bergman’s Contribution to Chemical Nomenclature