Berzelius' symbols are horrifying. A young student in chemistry might as soon learn Hebrew as make himself acquainted with them...They appear to me equally to perplex the adepts in science, to discourage the learner, as well as to cloud the beauty and simplicity of the atomic theory.

Quoted in H. E. Roscoe, 'Presidential Address', Reports of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, 57th report, 1887