NATURE AND DECOMPOSITION OF THE FIXED ALKALIS. 291 



her of decompositions and chemical changes produced in our knowledge 

 substances of known composition by electricity ; and I "f bodies?"^^' 

 ventured to conclude, from the general principles on which 

 the phenomena were capable of being explained, that the 

 new methods of investigation proinised to lead to a more 

 intimate knowledge than had hitherto been obtained, con- 

 cerning the true elements of bodies*. 



This conjecture, then sanctioned only by strong analogies, Thisconj?o 

 I am now happy to be able to support by some conclusive ^"""^ ^^'' ^ • 

 facts. In the course of a laborious experimental applica- 

 tion of the powers of electro-chemical analysis to bodies, 

 which have appeared simple when examined by common 

 chemical agents, or which at least have never been decom- 

 posed, it has been my good fortune to obtain new and sin- 

 gular results. 



Such of the series of experiments as are in a tolerably 

 mature state, and capable of being arranged in a connected 

 order, I shall detail in the following sections, particularly 

 those which demonstrate the decomposition and composition 

 of the fixed alkalis, and the production of the new and ex- 

 traordinary bodies that constitute their bases. > 



In speaking of novel methods of investigation, I shall Novel process- 

 not fear to be minute. When the common means of clie- ^^ ^"ly descri. 

 , . 1 1 1 T I 11 ' • 1 b^^ minutely. 



mical research have been employed, 1 shall mention only 



results. A historical detail of the progress of the investiga- 

 tion, of all the difficulties that occurred, and of the man- 

 ner in which they were overcome, and of all the manipu- 

 lations employed, would fixr exceed the limits assigned to 

 this lecture. It is proper to state, however, that when ge- 

 neral facts are mentioned, they are such only as have been 

 deduced from processes carefully performed and often re- 

 peated. 



II. On the Methods used for the Decomposition of the f. red 

 Alkalis. 



The researches I had made on the decomposition of acids, jiie powers of 

 and of alkaline and earthy neutral compounds, proved, that electrical de- 

 , • . . X- 1 i composition. 



the powers of electncal decomposition were proportional to 



* See Journal, Vol. XVIII, p. 32 1 j and XIX, p. 37, 



U 2 the 



