IS^* ^.^ POTASSIUM, SODIUM, AND OXIMURIATIC ACID. 



merely on account of their levity, 1 feel no repugnance t» 



call those new bodies metals, be they hydrurets or not ; but 



1 should be far from inferring, that the other metals are 



also hydrurets. With respect to the resemblances between 



the new metals and sulphuretted bidrogen, &c., they cer-, 



tainly oxq many and striking; so are their resemblances to 



the metals ; I do not undertake to decide which are most 



Simple bodies numerous, I apprehend a piece of brass or other alloy bat 



and com- gg many properties resemblins: the metal* as potassium atj^ 

 pounds may i- < 11 



haveresem- sodium; yet no one allows the former to be simple sub- 



blances stances. This argument is at least sufficient to show, that 



enough to be , , ° 



classed toge- simple and compound bodies may have so many points of 



^'' resemblance, as to be fairly arranged in the same class. I 



do not consider the discovery of the new metals less valua- 

 ble and important for being compound rather than simple 

 bodies; and though there may be several facts and experi- 

 ments, which seem to point tliem out as simple subj^tances, 

 yet till the preceding facts are controverted, the othej's 

 can do little more than excite doubts on the subject. 

 Combustion of Your correspondent, adverting to the combustion of po- 

 potassium ia tassium in muriatic acicl, argues, that the bidrogen is de- 



muriauc acid ^ived from the acid, and not from the potassium ; and as a 



no proof, that , . '^ ' . 



it does not support of the opinion adduces Mr. Davy's experiments, in 



contain hidro- which a mixture of equal parts of oxi muriatic acid and 

 bidrogen is by the electric srk converted into muriatic 

 acid. Granting the truth of the last deduction, the argu- 

 ment amounts to this, that, if two bodies, one of which is 

 known to contain bidrogen, by their mutual action devc- 

 lope that gas, it follows, that the other may not contain bi- 

 drogen. But the principal aim of introducing this sub- 

 ject into the discussion on potassium and sodium seems to 

 have been, to defend the notion of oximuriatic acid being a 

 simple substance, and muriatic acid a compound of it and 

 bidrogen. It is to this object that his calculation is di- 

 rected, on which I have animadverted at the commence- 

 "Thenatureof ment of this letter. The experiments alluded \o on oxi- 

 aci'dm)t yetas- ^^^^^^'^^ ^^^^ '^"^ bidrogen I consider of the most difficult 

 ccrtained. execution, and if Mr. Davy has succeeded in obtaining to- 

 lerable approximations to accuracy in his first trials, great 

 merit is undoubtedly his; still we want a more accurate 



and 



