HISTORY OF GALVANISM. 79 



however, at length, to a certain degree, accom 

 plished by mixing the earth with a metallic oxide, 

 and placing this in contact with a globule of mer- 

 cury negatively electrified, when an amalgam was 

 formed, consisting of the mercury and the metal 

 of the earth employed. In this way it appeared, 

 that a metallic basis had certainly been obtained 

 from the four alkaline earths, to which the names 

 of barium, calcium, strontium, and magnium, 

 were respectively applied. The remaining earths, 

 silex, alumine, zircon, and glucine, were still 

 more refractory, probably in consequence of their 

 more powerful affinity for oxygen. No decom- 

 position could be effected by the same means - 

 which had been found successful with the alka- 

 line earths ; but it was at length partially accom- 

 plished, by keeping the earth in fusion with pot- 

 ash, inducing upon it positive electricity, and 

 touching it with a negative wire. In this case 

 an amalgam was produced, which probably con- 

 sisted of the metal of the earth employed and pot- 

 assium.* 



The brilliant discoveries of Sir H. Davy, and Confimm- 

 still more the new and powerful agent which he Davy's ex- 

 had introduced into chemistry, could not fail to pen 

 engage the attention of all those who were inte- 

 rested in the progress of the science. Among 

 these, Gay-Lussac and Thenard in France, and 

 Berzelius in Sweden, immediately commenced 



* Phil. Trans, for 1808, p. 333. 



