149 



aeriform, or gaseous fluids assisted, probably, by the 

 operations of electricity.* 



A short time after Patrin hadread before the Natio- 

 nal Institute his memoir or theory of volcanoes, Guyton 

 Jllorveau, rendered to the Institute, at the setting of the 

 6 floreal, Ann. 3, (26th April, 1800,) an account of va- 

 rious experiments made under his own eyes, which 

 proves, ist. < That lime is composed of azote, hydro- 

 gen, and charbon." 



2d. " That Magnesia is composed of lime and azote, 

 (i e.) of the same elements as lime, with a superabun- 

 dance of azote." 



3d. " That Soda is composed of magnesia and hy- 

 drogen." 



4th. " That Potash is composed of lime and carbo* 

 nated hydrogen. "f 



Sir Humphrey Davy has, however, by a series of 

 successful experiments, since proved what Humboldt 

 and Lavoisier had long ago suspected of the earths in 

 general, that, at least, some of them are composed of 

 metallick oxids. 



This may possibly be true, with respect to all the 

 earths, without invalidating in the least, the opinion 

 that all earthy and metallick substances may have been 

 formed by a combination of aeriform or gaseous fluids, 

 modified or assisted by electricity. 



* Se* 3 ; his account of the Lipari Islands, pages 113 and 153. 

 t Patrin, vol. V, page 223. 



