Mr. W. H. Balmain on Atthogen and Aithonides. 467 
has rendered them to him complicated and confused. To ac- 
count for the deposition of the metal upon the diaphragm, 
he is reduced to the necessity of supposing that “ the metallic 
copper is to be attributed to the solutions acting (in some man- 
ner to me unintelligible) both as conductors and electrolytes.” 
According to my explanation the copper is arrested on its 
passage to the platinode by the impossibility of its combining 
even temporarily with the hydrate of potassa. In its state of 
oxide it is also arrested on account of its being insoluble. 
The metal, therefore, yields its charge to the hydrogen of the 
hydrate which is evolved in its place at the platinode. Both 
the copper of the sulphate and the oxygen of the hydrate are 
evolved upon the membrane and enter into secondary union, 
if there be time for the completion of the combination; but 
this secondary combination is not necessary to the electrolysis, 
and if the process be very rapid does not completely take 
place. 
I remain, my dear Sir, very faithfully yours, 
King’s College, London, J. F. Danie... 
May 11, 1843. 
LXXIX. On Zthogen and ZEthonides. By Witu1samM H. 
BaLMain*. 
T the commencement of the present year I made some 
experiments, with the hope of obtaining compounds of 
boron and silicon with nitrogen; and was successful so far as 
to obtain compounds consisting of boron and nitrogen toge~ 
ther with certain metals, which are possessed of some very 
remarkable properties. The results of these experiments, 
with some remarks upon their bearing upon the science of 
chemistry, and a few facts proving the existence of analogous 
compounds of silicon and nitrogen, were published in the 
Phil. Mag. for October, 1842. Since that time I have suc- 
ceeded in isolating the compound of nitrogen and boron, and 
have given it the name of Aithogen, from aidwv and yeivouar, 
because it produces, by uniting with the metals, compounds 
which glow with a peculiarly beautiful phosphorescent light 
when heated before the blowpipe in the oxidizing fame. And 
I think its compounds may with propriety be named Altho- 
nides. 
Preparation of ZEthogen.—Heat to redness seven parts of 
finely powdered anhydrous boracic acid with nine parts of 
melon, in a crucible lined with charcoal ; and immediately the 
* Communicated by the Chemical Society ; having been read Decem- 
ber 6, 1842. 
21¢ 
