3^8 ON THE DECOMI^OSITION OF THE EAilTHS. 



From the in- ^^^ earths like the fixed alkalis are noucondiicfors of 

 fusibility of the electricity; but the fixed alkalis become conducting by fu-> 

 sion : the infusible nature of the earths, however, rendered 

 it impossible to operate upon them in this state : the strong 

 affinity of their bases for oxigen, made it unavailing, to act 

 upon them in solution in water ; and the oUly methods, that 

 proved successful, were those of operating upon them by 

 electricity in some of their combinations, or of combining 

 them at the moment of their decon»position by electricity in 

 metallic alloys, so as to obtain evidences of their nature 

 and properties. 

 A more power- I delayed for some time laying an account of many of the 

 ful apparatus principal results which I obtained before the Society, in the 

 hopes of being able to render them more distinct and satis- 

 factory ; but finding that for this end a more powerful bat» 

 tery, and more perfect apparatus than I have a prospect of 

 seeing very soon constructed, will be required, I have ven- 

 tured to bring forwards the investigation in its present im- 

 perfect state; and I shall prefer the imputation of having 

 published unfinished labours, to that of having concealed 

 any new facts from the scientific world, which may tend to 

 assist the progress of chemical knowledge. 



2. Methods employed for decomposing the alkaline Earths, 

 The alkaline Barytes, strontitcs, and lime, slightly moistened, were 

 earths moisten- electrified by iron wires under naphtha, by the same me- 

 thods, and with the same powers as those employed for the 



fd, and clectri 

 lied under 



naphtha. decomposition * of the fixed alkalis. In these cases, gas was 



easevoh^ed^ copiously evolved, which was inliammable; and the earths, 



and metallic where in contact with the negative metallic wires, became 



points appear- ^^^^ coloured, and exhibited small i)oints having a metallic 



lustre, which, when exposed to air, gradually became 



white; they became white likewise when plunged under 



■water, and when examined in this experiincut by a magnifier^ 



a greenish powder seemed to separate from them, and smaU 



globules of gas were disengaged. 



In these cases there was great reason to believe, that the 

 earths had been decomposed; and that their bases had com- 



* See page 4, or Journal, vol. xx, p. 291, 



biacd 



