C2 OW THE METAL» OF THE llKALlg. 



Hself in this case subjected to the same laws, as that whicti 

 is formed solely, of mercury, ammonia, and hidrogen, 

 and which cannot exist, except under the electric influ- 

 ence. 

 Lightness of ** If Mr. Davy admit, that the ammoniacal amalgam i§ 

 tkeamaleam ^ comj.'ound of mercury, ammonia, and hidrogen, he must 

 admit also our explanation of the phenomena exhibited by 

 its formation, or of the cause of its bein^ five or six times 

 as bulky as the mercury it contains. This explanation ia 

 perfectly natural. In fact, since the hidrogen and ammo* 

 tiia are scarcely more condensed in this amalgam, than they 

 are in the state of gas, which is proved by the facility with 

 vhich they escape from it, they cannot but considerably 

 diminish the specific gravity of the mercury. The pro» 

 perty that mercury has of being about 34000 times as heavy 

 as hidrogen gas; and that which gold has of losing it» 

 lustre and ductility, and becoming soluble in all the acids, 

 by the addition of a few hundredths of oxigen gas, are fact* 

 as extraordinary." 



Under the 2d head the French chemists observe : 

 Solid hydruret ** Mr. Davy says, that he could never succeed in com- 

 •f potassittin, |,*u^j,^g hidrogen gas with potassium, so as to form the solid 

 hydruret of potassium; which we made known in 1808, 

 No. 144 of the Moniteur, &c. ; and on the preparation of 

 which we gave fome fresh information in No. 330 of the 

 Mr. Dary's re- Bibliothkqiie britannique, in September, I8O9. He imagines, 

 marks ^^^^ -^^ ^^^ experiments we paid no attention either to the 



solution of potassium in hidrogen gas; a solution, which, 

 according to him, occasioning probably a condensation of 

 this gas, might have led us into an errour; or to the influ- 

 ence of the metal on glass; or to the circumstance, that, 

 from his observations, very small quautities of air or water 

 give rise to a grayish powder, similar to what we announce 

 answered. IIS the hydruret of potassium. Our answer to all these ob- 

 servations shall be very simple. Let a certain quantity of 

 potassium, as was said. Bib. brit. No. 330, p. 47, and of 

 very dry and very pure hidrogen gas, be heated in a curved 

 glass jar, thoroughly freed from air and water, and with its 

 extremity immersed in water, the mercury will goon be seea 

 to ascend rapidly in the jar, ayid at tlie expiratJon 6f a cer- 



taia 



