on various Objects, BJ 



acid upon the amalgam, yet I could not be entirely satis- 

 fied that there was any of the metals of these earths in 

 triple combination. 



Mixtures of the earths with potassium, intensely ignited 

 in contact with iron filings, and covered with iron filings 

 in a clay crucible, gave much more distinct results. Whe- 

 ther silex, alumine, or glucine was used, there was always 

 a fused mass in the centre of the crucible; and this mass 

 had perfectly metallic characters. It was in all cases much 

 whiter and harder than iron. In the instance in which 

 silex was used, it broke under the hammer, and exhibited 

 a crystalline texture. The alloys from alumine and glu- 

 cine were imperfectly malleable. Each afforded, by solu- 

 tion in acids, evaporation, and treatment with re-agents, 

 oxide of iron, alkali, and notable quantities of the earth 

 employed in the experiment. 



Though I could not procure decided evidences of the 

 production of an amalgam, from the metals of the com- 

 mon earths, yet I succeeded perfectly by the same method 

 of operating,' in making amalgams of the alkaline earths. 



By passing potassium through lime and magnesia, aud 

 then introducing mercury, I obtained solid amalgams^ 

 which consisted of potassium, the metal of the earth em- 

 ployed, and mercury. 



The amalgam from magnesia was easily deprived of its 

 potassium by the action of water. It then appeared as a 

 solid white metallic mass, which by exposure to the air 

 became covered with a dry white powder, and which when 

 acted upon by weak muriatic acid, gave off hydrogen gas 

 in considerable quantities, and produced a solution of 

 magnesia. 



By operations performed in this manner, there is good 

 reason to believe, it will be possible to procure quantities 

 of the metals of the alkaline earths, sufficient for determin- 

 ing their nature and agencies, and the quantities of oxygen 

 which they absorb ; and by the solution of the alloys con- 

 taining the metals of the common earths, it seems pro- 

 bable, that the proportions of metallic matter in these 

 bodies may likewise be ascertained. 



On an hypothesis which I have before brought before 

 the Society, namely, that the power of chemical attraction 

 and electrical action may be different exhibitions of the 

 same property of matter, and that oxygen and inflamma- 

 ble bodies are in relations of attraction which correspond 

 to the function of being negative and positive respectively, 

 it would follow that the attractions of acids for salifiable 



F 4 bases 



