Before IUPAC: Challenges of chemical terminology during the 18th and 19th centuries

Abstract

The centenary of the IUPAC will be celebrated during the next years. This article reviews the transformation of chemical terminology from the late eighteenth century until the late nineteenth century. Summarizing historical research on this topic, I review many problems encountered before and after the creation of IUPAC: persistence of old words, tensions created by new discoveries, controversies over new names, resistance against novelties synonyms, losses in translations, and the uses of chemical vocabulary in different contexts, particularly in the world of pharmacy. The main aim is to promote a debate on the role of historical research in the future celebrations of IUPAC based on current scholarship on commemorative practices in science.