SJEW PROPERTIES OF THE ALKALINE METALS, ^| 



pothesis of the alkalis being simply disoxigenized ; and this the alkalis t* 

 theery besides agreeing neither with the properties of the bejimuleox;- 

 ©xigen, nor, with those of ammonia, the principles of which 

 should be analogous to those of potash and soda; 1 could 

 not join in opinion with those chemists, who conceive the 

 metallization of potash and soda to be merely the re ult of 

 the disoxigenation of these substances. On the contrary, 

 without prejudging any thing, I would consider only the 

 facts ; and in particular endeavour, if possible, to increase 

 the series of those already known. 



What rendered these researches still more interesting to Decomposi- 

 me were the results of the experiments I had the honour to ' 1J , n of thc a1 ~ 



11-1 r t Kalis;: 



communicate to the class in the year 10 [180-2 or 1803J; re- e .i long ago. 

 suits that merited the attention of chemists the more, as the 

 consequences I deduced from them predicted in some sort 

 the possibility of metallizing the alkalis, the decomposition 

 of which I announced. 



Thus it is obvious, that Mr. Davy's discovery of the me- Mr - ®«*f* 

 it • c ,1 M !■ i i i • »i ii i- -i discovery ex> 



tallization ot the alkalis by the galvanic pile coujd not tan c ; tt( j th ,. au _ 



to awaken in me the desire of being acquainted with these ih&r'a attea. 

 new products; and that, full of this subject, I should be tlon * 

 one of the first to repeat the experiments announced for me- 

 tallizing the alkalis, experiments in which I should have 

 had the priority, had their publication been deferred an- 

 other week. 



Be this as it may, I have the satisfaction likewise of hav- This process 



\ng discovered a process, which is peculiar to myself, and mote S^f^lf 



a . . J successful thaa 



which succeeds in every laboratory; while I cannot say so that of the 



much of the experiment I have repeated, since, whatever other f re »ci 



ti iTi i ii i • i r chemists, 



pains 1 have taken, 1 have been able to obtain only a lerru- 



ginous alkaline alloy. 



It would be very desirable however, to learn where the jf t *, e ]T)eta j 

 difficulty lies, that every one may be enabled to repeat the be obtained 

 experiment with equal success. What makes me particu- of 'iron [ KanS 

 larly urgent for a knowledge of the means is, that, if it were eontaius c«u> 

 proved to me, that the metal of the alkalis could be obtain- 

 ed separate by the assistance of iron, I should deduce this 

 consequence from it ; that the carbon, which enters into the 

 composition of the alkaline metals, is one of the elements 



of 



bon. 



