ON ^1 DECOMPOSITION OF THE EARTHS. 373 



was less easy to metallize than the #her alkaline earths magnesia 

 was its insolubility in water, which would prevent it from ""^^''^'','^'^'^^^"f' 

 being presented in the nascent state, detached from its so- 

 lution at the negative surface. On this idea I tried the ex- 

 perimeot, using moistened sulphate of magnesia, instead of 

 the pure earth ; and I found that the amalgam was much 

 sooner obtained. Here the magnesia Avas attracted from the 

 sulphuric acid, and probably deoxigenated and combined 

 with the quicksilver at the same instant. 



The amalgams of the other bases of the alkaline earths Salts of th% 



could, I found, be obtained in the same manner from their "^'^^"'" ^f'^^s 



succeeded. 

 valine compounds. 



I tried in this way very successfully muriate and sul- 

 phate of lime, the muriate of strontites and of barytes, 

 and nitrate of barytes. The earths, separated at the de- 

 oxigenating surface, there seemed instantly to undergo de- 

 composition, and, seized upon by the mercury, were in 

 some measure defe^pd from the action of air, and from the 

 contact of water, and preserved by their strong attraction 

 for this metal. 



^|II. Attempts to procure the Metals of the all- aline Earths; 

 and on their Properties. 

 To procure quantities of amalgams sufficient for distilla- Trial to procure 

 tion, I combined the methods I had before employed, with *''1 ^'"^'^'"'"^ 



7 _ ^ J ' in larger 



those of Messrs Berzeliui and Pontin. quantUies. 



third of red oxide of mercury ; the mixture was placed on ^^ 

 plate of platina ; a cavity was made in the upper part of it 

 to receive a globule of mercury, of from 50 to 60 grains 

 in the weight, the whole was covered by a film of naphtha, 

 and the plate was made positive, and the mercury negative, 

 by a proper communication with the battery of five hundred. 



The amalgams obtained in this way were distilled in tubes The amalgams 

 •of plate glass, or in some cases in tubes ef common glass. '^'' * ' 

 These tubes were bent in the middle, and the extremities 

 were enlarged, and rendered globular by blowing, so as to 

 serve the purposes of a retort and receiver. 



The tube, after the amalgam had been introduced, was 

 filled with naphtha, which was afterward expelled by 



boiling. 



luia 



The earths were sliglnip moistened, and mixed with one 



