ELECTRO-CHEMISTRY. 5 



with each other by means of platina wires, one of 

 which was introduced into the chlorate of potassa in 

 the one tube, and the other into the potassium in the 

 other. The position of the tubes in the tray are 

 represented Fig. 1. I now filled the tray with 

 plaster of Paris and coal-ash, and upon this mixture 

 I placed an iron plate, on which were laid two 

 weights, forty pounds each. The tray with the 

 weights was placed on a common fire, the fireplace 

 of which was so constructed, that an intense heat 

 might at any time be produced. As oxygen would 

 come oif from the chlorate of potassa, when the tem- 

 perature of that salt was raised, I inferred that the 

 intense heat to which the oxygen and potassium 

 would be subjected, would disunite positive electricity 

 from the oxygen, and negative electricity from the 

 potassium ; and that the two electricities thus set 

 free would escape by the platina wires, and unite 

 with each other, heat being the product. After the 

 tray which had been brought to a red heat had cooled 

 down sufficiently, I proceeded to examine its con- 

 tents. Both tubes were entire. I opened at one 

 extremity the tube which contained the potassium, a 

 portion of which fell out, and presented very much 

 the external characters of carbon. Its metallic lustre 

 was gone ; and when thrown upon water, there was 



