02 On some new Elect rocfimnical Researches 



boracic, fluoric, and muriatic acids ; but the relations of 

 their compounds would lead to the suspicion of their being 

 metallic. The salifiable bases might be considered either 

 as protoxides, deutoxides, or tritoxides : and the general 

 relations of salifiable matter, to acid mutter, might be sup- 

 posed capable of being ascertained by their relations to 

 oxygen, or bv the peculiar state of their electrical energy. 



The whole tenour of the antiphlogistic doctrines neces- 

 sarily points to such an order; but in considering the facts 

 under other points of view, solutions may be found, which, 

 if not so simple, account for the phenomena with at least 

 equal facility. 



If hydrogen, according to an hypothesis to which I have 

 often referred, be considered as the principle which gives 

 inflammability, and as the cause of metallization, then our 

 list of simple substances will include oxygen, hydrogen, 

 and unknown bases only ; metals and inflammable solids 

 will be compounds of these bases, with hydrogen; the 

 earths, the fixed alkalies, metallic oxides, and the common 

 acids, will be compounds of the same bases, with water. 



The strongest arguments in favour of this notion, in 

 addition to those I have before stated, which at present 

 occur to me, are: First, The properties which seem to be 

 inherent in certain bodies, and which are either developed 

 or concealed, according to the nature of their combinations. 

 Thus sulphur, when it is dissolved in water either in com- 

 bination with hydrogen or oxygen, uniformly manifests 

 acid properties ; and the same quantity of sulphur, whe- 

 ther in combination with hydrogen, whether in its simple 

 form, or ih combination with one proportion of oxygen, 

 or a double proportion, from my experiments seems to 

 combine with the same quantity of alkali. Tellurium, 

 whether in the state of oxide or of hydruret, seems to have 

 the same tendency of combination with alkali; and the 

 alkaline metals, and the acidifjable bases, act with the 

 greatest energy on each other. 



sulphuretted hydrogen, and on phosphurettcd hydrogen, I find that the 

 phenomena differ very much according to the circumstances ot the experi- 

 ment, and in some instances I have obtained a larger volume of gas front 

 potassium after it had been exposed to the action ot certain ot these bodies, 

 than it would haye*gtven »!one. These experiments are still in .progress, 

 and I shall soon lay an account of them before the Society. The idea of the 

 existence of oxygen in sulphur and phosphorus is however still supported 

 bv various analogies- Their being nonconductors of electricity is one ar- 

 gument in favour of this. Potassium and sodium I find when heated in 

 hydrogen, mixed with a small quantity of atmospheric air, absorb both 

 o'<vgen and hydrogen, and become nonconducting inflammable bodies ana T 

 logous to resinous and oily substances. 



Second, 



