296 Extrication of the Alkalifiable Metals, . 
had the color of silver, took fire and burnt, with an intense white 
light, into-quicklime.”* ~ bi Tesh : 
Had the failure of Sir Humphrey, in his efforts to iadtate'en 
cium, been due only to the accidental fracture of a glass tube, 
it would be inexplicable that a chemist so indefatigable ‘should. 
not have successfully reiterated the experiment ; or that no other 
chemist, during thirty intervening years, x. 3 
by resorting to the same means. No doubt exists in my mind 
that without using a larger quantity of mercury than the sixty 
grains which he employed, and resorting to other materials than 
glass for a distillatory apparatus, no chemist could succeed in the 
isolation of calcium, nor in the complete distillation of the mer- 
cury from the amalgams of the,other metals, so as to obtain avail- 
able quantities for examination. cl : 
In a subsequent communication to the Royal Society, Davy 
mentions, that “by passing potassium through lime and magne- 
sia, and then introducing mercury, I obtained solid amalgams,” 
consisting of potassium, the metal of the earth employed, and 
mercury.” - ‘s 
“'The amalgam from magnesia was easily deprived of its potas- 
sium by water.” Of the amalgam containing calcium he makes 
no farther mention, but suggests the possibility of obtaining, by 
operations performed in this manner; quantities of the metals of 
the earths sufficient for determining their nature and agencies.f 
But I will proceed to explain and describe the apparatus and 
process to which I have resorted, and to communicate the results 
which I have obtained. - 
A Description of the Apparatus and Process for obtaining amal- 
gams of Calcium, Barium, and Strontium from saturated $0 
lutions of their Chlorides, by exposure to the Voltaic circuit m 
contact with mercury. : 
A and B, two bell glasses, with perforated necks, were invert 
ed and placed one within the other, so that, between them, there 
was an‘interstice of half an inch, which was filled with.a freeZ- 
ing mixture. Concentrically within Ba third similar bell *5 
Par ES OS eign Dt ee aa 
ss See Transactions of the Royal Society, Part {I. Nicholson’s Journal, Vol. 
xxi, for 1808 ; or, Tilloch’s Philosophical Magazine, Vol. xxxiii. d j 
t Transactions Royal Society for 1810, part I, p. 62. Tilloch’s Magazine, V 
xxkvi, p. 87. 
$ ae + 
10uld have succeeded. 
ed 
