246 On Metallic Salts. 



flame would be the consequence*: and the heated fragment 

 would be precipitated in all directions. — We have only to conceive 

 then that oxygen forms no part in the oecoiiomy of lunar for- 

 mations ; and such would undoubtedly be the effects if a body 

 thus composed once fell within the limits of our atmosphere. 

 With respect to the alkaline metals, it may be observed that they 

 can only be known here in a state of high oxidation ; but we 

 may easily conceive their existence in planets, as abundantly as 

 ^ron, nickel, and other metals, provided there is no oxygen to 

 form its combinations ; — and however important this subtile sub- 

 stance appears to be in the operations carried on in our globe, 

 we are not justified in concluding it to be requisite in other sy- 

 stems: — on the contrary, there are arguments for concluding that 

 in the moon oxvgen does not exist. It has for instance been 

 generally admitted that she is destitute of an atmosphere, or 

 possessed of one infinitely rarer, and therefore probably dif- 

 ferently composed from ours; and many accurate observers have 

 on good grounds doubted the existence of water. It is almost 

 unnecessary to remind our readers that air and water depend 

 upon oxygen for their formation. It is true that the semblance 

 of fire has been observed in active and incessant volcanoes ; 

 but as caloric, heat, and light are all independent properties or 

 substances, it by no means follows that oxygen should be the only 

 supporter which Omnipotence is capable of furnishing for the 

 act of combustion. 



E. S. 



XLV. On Metallic Salts. By A Correspondent (H.) in 

 Reply to the Answer of G. S. 



To Mr. Tilloch. 



Sir, — 1 FLATTER myself you perceived my paper of June last 

 was merely an opinion founded on a few experiments ; and that 

 my ambition and endeavour was to promote, if possible, and 

 simplify the science, by forming that which, if correct, cannot 

 fail to afford chemists, in a general rule, an acquisition not unde- 

 serving their attention. 



Your correspondent, in his attempt to confute me, leads you 

 so far from the purport of my paper, by changing the word 

 excess for free, that xere I for an instant to conceive it to be in- 

 tentional, I should put an end to a controversy so unfairly car- 

 ried on. 



That some of G. S.'s assertions [see the July number] are in- 



• See the various experiments upon potassium on exposure to oxygen. 



correct. 



