4ig Experiments on the Substances produced 
other in volume nearly as two to one; but the experiment 
cannot be considered as decisive on this point, as no parti- 
cular precautions had been taken to dry the mercury. 
Now, if there had existed oxvgen combined with an in- 
flammable basis in the fluate of ammonia, it might have 
been expected to have been separated, or at least to have 
formed a new combination during the action of potassium 
upon the fluate of ammonia, which is the case’with such 
ammoniaca! salts as contain acids in which oxygen is an 
element. Thus nitrate of ammonia acted on by potassium, 
as I have found, affords azote and ammonia; and sulphur 
is partly disengaged, and partly newly combined during the 
agency of potassium in excess upon sulphate of ammonia. 
The action of potassium upon fluate of ammonia is pre- 
cisely similar to its action upon muriate of ammonia, in 
which, as I have found by numerous experiments, ammonia 
and hydrogen to each other in volume as two to one are 
disengaged, and muriate of potassa (potassane) formed. 
All the hydrates, that is, all the substances which con- 
tain definite proportions of water, united to acids, alkalies, 
or oxides, which are fluid, or capable of being rendered 
fluid by heat, when exposed to the chemical agency of 
Voltaic electricity, undergo decomposition, and their in- 
flammable principles, either pure, or combined with a 
smaller proportion of oxygen, are disengaged at the nega- 
tive surface in the circuit, and their oxygen at the positive 
surface. Thus sulphuric ‘acid affords sulphur and hydrogen 
at the negative surface, and the hydro-phosphorous acid, 
phospharetted hydrogen and phosphorus, and nitric acid 
nitrous gas; and all these bodies yield oxygen at the posi- 
tive surface. 
T undertook the experiment of electrizing pure liquid 
fluoric acid, with considerable 1 interest, as it seemed to offer 
the most probable method of ascertaining its real nature ; 
but considerable difficulties occurred in executing the pro- 
cess, The liquid flueric acid immedately destroys glass, 
and all animal and vegetable substances ; it acts on all 
bodies containing metallic oxides; and I fail of no sube 
stances which are not rapidly dissolved or decomposed by» 
it, except metals, charcoal, phosphorus, sulphur, and cer- 
tain combinations of chlorine. 
I attempted to make tubes of sulphur, of muriates of lead 
and of copper containing metallic wires, by which it might 
be electrized, but without success. 1 succeeded, however) 
in boring a piece of horn silver in such a manner, that I 
was able to cement a platina wire into it, by means of a 
spirit 
