32 Report of the "Progress of ilie Sciences in France. 



viums from nitre pits, and among animals, present the same 

 phaenomena. 



Now, pota'^li, soda, and the earths are metallic oxides. 



e. Metals themselves, such as iron and manganese, are very 

 aJmndant in vegetables and animals. What is it that furnishes 

 then), particularly manganese, if they are not new products ? 



15. The production of ammonium by exposing to the action 

 of the Voltaic pile mercury with ammonia, may throw some 

 light on the new production of these bases. The azotic and 

 hydrogen gases ^eem to be the principal bases of ammonia. 

 These two gases therefore concur, according to Berzelius, in the 

 formation of a metallic substance, ammonium.. 



Caloric, the luminous fluid, and tiie Galvanic fluid, may also 

 concur not onlv in the formation of ammonium, but of the other 

 metals, the alkali^, earths, sulphur, phosphorus, carbon, &c. 



16. All these fluids t'nemselves are probably formed of one 

 sole pr'nnilive mutter. 1 his was the opinion of the philosophers 

 of antic[uitv, and it has been sanctioned by Newton, according 

 to Sir H. Davy. This primitive matter is jjerhaps the nelulous 

 matter., ox akasch. It is probable that chemistry will decompose 

 some of these bases. 



17. The Galvanic action h.as the greatest influence in the 

 principal phenomena of nature : such as fermentation ; the in- 

 flammation of pyrites, the pyrophori, and the various chemical 

 combinations, compositions, and decompositions ; the various 

 phsnomena of the animal and vegetable oeconomy; heat, irrita- 

 bility, excitability, sensibility ; the electrical state of the ter- 

 restrial globe, &c. 



18. Electricity and Galvanism therefore contributing to che- 

 mical combinations, their action is continual and never inter- 

 rupted. The electro-chemical theory of Berzehus merits the 

 whole attention of scientific men. 



19. It is no more demonstrated that water is composed of 

 hydrogen and oxygen, as Cavendish says, than that it may be 

 converted into earth as maintained by Newton. 



20. The action of the molecules of solid bodies depends 

 rather on their figure than their mass. 



M. Delametherie thus concludes his Sketch of the Progress of 

 the Sciences, of which the above is an extract : 



" Yet a little while, and these truths will be recognised like 

 those to which I have already alluded ; viz. the great quantity 

 of caloric in the inflammable gas, the small quantity of caloric 

 in pure air, the insufficiency of oxygen for producing the acids, 

 the imperfection of the new chemical and mineralogical no- 

 menclatures, the 'iisufficiency of the nevv chemical theories, and 

 the insufficiency of crystallography for making us acquainted 

 with minerals." IX. Mr- 



