THE SCIENTIST 179 



science are not. That would, indeed, be a civil war 

 of the worst description: we should rather, through 

 the instrumentality of men of science, soften the as- 

 perities of national hostility." 



In the following year Davy reported other chemi- 

 cal changes produced by electricity; he had suc- 

 ceeded in decomposing the fixed alkalis and discover- 

 ing the elements potassium and sodium. To analyze 

 a small piece of pure potash slightly moist from the 

 atmosphere, he had placed it on an insulated platinum 

 disk connected with the negative side of a voltaic 

 battery. A platinum wire connected with the positive 

 side was brought in contact with the upper surface 

 of the alkali. " The potash began to fuse at both its 

 points of electrization." At the lower (negative) sur- 

 face small globules having a high metallic luster like 

 quicksilver appeared, some of which burned with ex- 

 plosion and flame while others remained and became 

 tarnished. When Davy saw these globules of a hith- 

 erto unknown metal, he danced about the laboratory 

 in ecstasy and for some time was too much excited 

 to continue his experiments. 



After recovering from a very severe illness, owing 

 in the judgment of some to overapplication to experi- 

 mental science, and in his own judgment to a visit 

 to Newgate Prison with the purpose of improving its 

 sanitary condition, Davy made an investigation of the 

 alkaline earths. He failed in his endeavor to obtain 

 from these sources pure metals, but he gave names 

 to barium, strontium, calcium, and magnesium, con- 

 jecturing that the alkaline earths were, like }><>t:i>li 

 and soda, metallic oxides. In addition Davy antici- 

 pated the isolation of silicon, aluminium, and zirco- 



