de Morveau was commissioned to write the chemical articles for the new
Encyclopédie Méthodique, the first part appearing in 1786. In Encyclopédie
Méthodique, the subjects were separated, so all chemistry articles were published in
a separate set of volumes. An encyclopaedia was a good forum for promoting the
new nomenclature, just as it had been for Macquer two decades earlier. While
preparing the first part of the first volume of Encyclopédie Méthodique, de Morveau
was still a convinced phlogistonist, but during 1786 he started to doubt [44].
Around February 1787, he went to Paris to see Lavoisier and stayed there for
several months [45]. In Paris, de Morveau entered collaboration with Lavoisier,
Berthollet and Fourcroy, a collaboration resulting in the seminal book Méthode de
nomenclature chimique (Method of Chemical Nomenclature), published in the
summer of 1787. The book is composed of a number of essays, and it was de
Morveau who was mainly responsible for developing the new nomenclature. In
Méthode de nomenclature chimique, the name acide méphitique was changed to
acide carbonique and its salts were called carbonates. In the same manner, we got
acide sulfurique (H 2 SO 4 ) and acide sulfureux (H 2 SO 3 ). The salts were referred to as
sulfate de potasse (K 2 SO 4 ) and sulfite de potasse (K 2 SO 3 ). This nomenclature has
largely survived until the present day, although we write copper sulphate rather than
sulphate of copper in English.
Thus, we have seen how criticism against the old chemical nomenclature started
to grow stronger in the eighteenth century but initially without any constructive
suggestions, an exception being the proposal by Macquer. It was Bergman who
applied Linnaeus’ successful binomial nomenclature on chemistry, and de Morveau
who refined it. On doing so, however, one important aspect of Bergman’s work was
lost: Bergman worked hard for an international nomenclature, and instead of his
Vitriolicum cuprum we now have copper sulphate (English), Kupfersulfat (German), sulfato de cobre (Spannish), sulfate de cuivre (French), kopparsulfat
(Swedish), kuparisulfaatti (Finnish), solfato rameico (Italian), siarczan miedzi
(Polish), heiijό1 vakjό1 (Greek), cyльфaт мeди (Russian) and 硫酸铜 (Chinese).
References
1. Macquer PJ (1749) Elemens Chymie Theorique. Jean-Thomas Herissant, Paris, p 38
2. Wallerius JG (1765) Chemiæ Pysicæ Andra del; första och andra afdelningen… Lars Salvius.
Stockholm, p 15
3. Lemery N (1686) A course of chemistry, 2nd. Walter Kettilby, London, p 80
4. Cronstedt (1758) Försök til mineralogie. Stockholm, p 123
5. Crosland MP (1962) Historical studies in the language of chemistry. Heineman, London,
p 125
6. Crosland MP (1962) Historical studies in the language of chemistry. Heineman, London,
p 138
7. Headrick DR (2000) When information came of age. Oxford University Press, Oxford, p 24
8. Bergman T (1770) Historien om Qvicksilvers föreningar med Koksalts-syra. KVA Handl
31:79–110
9. Bergman T (1772) Slutet af Historien om Qvicksilvers föreningar med Koksalts-syra. KVA
Handl 33:193–205
364
26 Bergman’s Contribution to Chemical Nomenclature
Encyclopédie Méthodique, the first part appearing in 1786. In Encyclopédie
Méthodique, the subjects were separated, so all chemistry articles were published in
a separate set of volumes. An encyclopaedia was a good forum for promoting the
new nomenclature, just as it had been for Macquer two decades earlier. While
preparing the first part of the first volume of Encyclopédie Méthodique, de Morveau
was still a convinced phlogistonist, but during 1786 he started to doubt [44].
Around February 1787, he went to Paris to see Lavoisier and stayed there for
several months [45]. In Paris, de Morveau entered collaboration with Lavoisier,
Berthollet and Fourcroy, a collaboration resulting in the seminal book Méthode de
nomenclature chimique (Method of Chemical Nomenclature), published in the
summer of 1787. The book is composed of a number of essays, and it was de
Morveau who was mainly responsible for developing the new nomenclature. In
Méthode de nomenclature chimique, the name acide méphitique was changed to
acide carbonique and its salts were called carbonates. In the same manner, we got
acide sulfurique (H 2 SO 4 ) and acide sulfureux (H 2 SO 3 ). The salts were referred to as
sulfate de potasse (K 2 SO 4 ) and sulfite de potasse (K 2 SO 3 ). This nomenclature has
largely survived until the present day, although we write copper sulphate rather than
sulphate of copper in English.
Thus, we have seen how criticism against the old chemical nomenclature started
to grow stronger in the eighteenth century but initially without any constructive
suggestions, an exception being the proposal by Macquer. It was Bergman who
applied Linnaeus’ successful binomial nomenclature on chemistry, and de Morveau
who refined it. On doing so, however, one important aspect of Bergman’s work was
lost: Bergman worked hard for an international nomenclature, and instead of his
Vitriolicum cuprum we now have copper sulphate (English), Kupfersulfat (German), sulfato de cobre (Spannish), sulfate de cuivre (French), kopparsulfat
(Swedish), kuparisulfaatti (Finnish), solfato rameico (Italian), siarczan miedzi
(Polish), heiijό1 vakjό1 (Greek), cyльфaт мeди (Russian) and 硫酸铜 (Chinese).
References
1. Macquer PJ (1749) Elemens Chymie Theorique. Jean-Thomas Herissant, Paris, p 38
2. Wallerius JG (1765) Chemiæ Pysicæ Andra del; första och andra afdelningen… Lars Salvius.
Stockholm, p 15
3. Lemery N (1686) A course of chemistry, 2nd. Walter Kettilby, London, p 80
4. Cronstedt (1758) Försök til mineralogie. Stockholm, p 123
5. Crosland MP (1962) Historical studies in the language of chemistry. Heineman, London,
p 125
6. Crosland MP (1962) Historical studies in the language of chemistry. Heineman, London,
p 138
7. Headrick DR (2000) When information came of age. Oxford University Press, Oxford, p 24
8. Bergman T (1770) Historien om Qvicksilvers föreningar med Koksalts-syra. KVA Handl
31:79–110
9. Bergman T (1772) Slutet af Historien om Qvicksilvers föreningar med Koksalts-syra. KVA
Handl 33:193–205
364
26 Bergman’s Contribution to Chemical Nomenclature