retain the old names for the animal oxyds and
acids. We have only ventured to make a few slight modifications of these
names, by changing the termination into _ous_, when we have reason to
suppose the base to be in excess, and into _ic_, when we suspect the
oxygen predominates.

The following are all the vegetable acids hitherto known:

1. Acetous acid.
2. Acetic acid.
3. Oxalic acid.
4. Tartarous acid.
5. Pyro-tartarous acid.
6. Citric acid.
7. Malic acid.
8. Pyro-mucous acid.
9. Pyro-lignous acid.
10. Gallic acid.
11. Benzoic acid.
12. Camphoric acid.
13. Succinic acid.

Though all these acids, as has been already said, are chiefly, and
almost entirely, composed of hydrogen, charcoal, and oxygen, yet,
properly speaking, they contain neither water carbonic acid nor oil, but
only the elements necessary for forming these substances. The power of
affinity reciprocally exerted by the hydrogen, charcoal, and oxygen, in
these acids, is in a state of equilibrium only capable of existing in
the ordinary temperature of the atmosphere; for, when they are heated
but a very little above the temperature of boiling water, this
equilibrium is destroyed, part of the oxygen and hydrogen unite, and
form water; part of the charcoal and hydrogen combine into oil; part of
the charcoal and oxygen unite to form carbonic acid; and, lastly, there
generally remains a small portion of charcoal, which, being in excess
with respect to the other ingredients, is left free. I mean to explain
this subject somewhat farther in the succeeding chapter.

The oxyds of the animal kingdom are hitherto less known than those from
the vegetable kingdom, and their number is as yet not at all determined.
The red part of the blood, lymph, and most of the secretions, are true
oxyds, under which point of view it is very important to consider them.
We are only acquainted with six animal acids, several of which, it is
probable, approach very near each other in their nature, or, at least,
differ only in a scarcely sensible degree. I do not include the
phosphoric acid amongst these, because it is found in all the kingdoms
of nature. They are,

1. Lactic acid.
2. Saccholactic acid.
3. Bombic acid.
4. Formic acid.
5. Sebacic acid.
6. Prussic acid.

The connection between the constituent elements of the animal oxyds and
acids is not more permanent than in those from the vegetable