ON THE NATURE OP POTASSIUM AND SODIUM. Sf 



nard first distinctly pointed out the nature of these per« 



o^ide8,,aiid described their properties. According to thejt 



litatement, the peroxide of potassium contains three times 



the quantity of oxigen that exists in potash, and the per« ,,.-f .... 



oxide of sodium half as much more as exists in soda** These 



oxides have also been examined by Mr. Davy, and the 



general results of his experiments are conformable to those 



tf the French chemists. 



Messrs. Gay-Lussac and Thenard, using the same tesf Trials of the 

 ■8 Mr. Davy had before applied to their hypothesis, making !fJ^e*^Qnii» ' 

 comparative trials of the saturating powers of the alkalis alkalw. 

 formed from the metals and of the common hidrates, were 

 convinced, that potassium and sodium are not hidrurets; t^tf 



and consequently they adopted Mr. Davy's opinion, that 

 they are simple bodiesf . 



Mr. Murray controverts this opinion in his paper, published 

 in the last number of your Journal : rinding that potash v»i»rfW6il5|t 

 from the combustion of potassium, has much the same sa«» 

 turating power as hidrate of potash, he infers, that th^ 

 metals of the fixed alkalis are compounds of unknown ba^et 

 and hidrogen. As this gentleman does not describe tbt , ^ ^^:.. .,^^^. 

 manner in which he formed his potash; there is every rea* 'yci 



son to conclude it must have been by combustion in th« ^'* ' 



atmosphere, in which case, it would have been principally 

 peroxide; and an equal weight of it ought to have less satu« 

 rating power than an equal weight of common puta«h. SincCj, 

 thereibre, Mr. Murray's hypothesis appears to be un» 

 founded, since it is contradicted by the ample statement oC *^ *^^ '^ - 

 clear and decisive facts already made, I shall conclude ^'w i 



without examining the speculations comiteted with it. ' . 7 [.^ 



I am, Sir, with great reject. 



Your huxnbk servant, 



London, March Uth^ J. J>AVT. 



1811. 



* Moniteur, July 5, I8i0. 

 -f At the end of this paper will be fouad a notice of these gentlemen^c 

 «xperiaient6^ it is part of a Report of th« Inttitute, publiibed in the Mo> 



Bitenr already referred to. 



Extract 



