46 FARADAY 



and so sets the hydrogen free; and even If I take 

 a piece of ice, and put a piece of potassium upon it, the 

 beautiful affinities by which the oxygen and the hydrogen 

 are related are such that the ice will absolutely set fire to 

 the potassium. I show this to you to-day in order to enlarge 

 your ideas of these things, and that you may see how 

 greatly results are modified by circumstances. There is the 

 potassium on the ice, producing a sort of volcanic action. 

 It will be my place when next we meet, having pointed 

 out these anomalous actions, to show you that none of these 

 extra and strange effects are met with by us that none of 

 these strange and injurious actions take place when we are 

 burning, not merely a candle, but gas in our streets, or fuel 

 in our fireplaces, so long as we confine ourselves within the 

 laws that Nature has made for our guidance. 



