( 271.) 
ACCOUNT OF 
SOME REMARKABLE FACTS 
OBSERVED IN THE 
‘DEOXIDATION OF METALS, 
Particularly Silver and Copper. 
In a Letter to Mr. Dalton. 
BY SAMUEL LUCAS, ESQ. 
(Read March 6th, 1818.) 
> 2 << ; 
DEAR SIR, Sheffield, May 31st, 1815. 
W uen1 had the pleasure of seeing, you 
in Manchester, I mentioned. having observed, 
that pure silver, when, melted and while. in 
a fluid state, had the property of uniting with 
a swall proportion of oxygen, not, only, from 
the atmosphere, but also from. other, bodies 
which gave it out at a-suita ble degree of heat, 
assome of the nitrates for instance; and that 
the oxygen thus absorbed remains united with 
the silver only so long) as..it continues in a 
fluid state, or while fluid, until some substance 
be applied, having a more powerful attraction 
for the oxygen. In prvof of this T now send, 
for your inspection, a few specimens of silver 
that has. been in the, different. states,,and 
which carry the externel. marks; and alsoa 
bottle of the gas collected from silver, which 
