ON PROCURING THE METAL OF POTASSIUM. j^l 



brilliant white to the brown smoaky flame may be observed 

 with great advantage, accordingly as the hand is held more 

 or less remote from the aperture, 



W.N. 



VII. 



On the Process for procuring the Metal of Potassium btf 

 Means of Iron. In a Letter from a Correspondent, 



SIR, 



ISHING to repeat some of the brilliant experiments q^^^j^^j^^jj^^ 

 of Mr. Davy, I endeavoured to procure the metal of pot- ir-dtbodlof pr<»» 

 ash by means of iron, in which 1 have repeatedly failed. T"!™!. ^"^^ 

 As I perceive Mr. Curaudau, a French chemist^ has also of iron, 

 failed in procuring potassium in this way, I have taken the 

 liberty to request you will communicate in your next num- 

 ber every information you may be possessed of with respect 

 to the minutiae of the process, and the best and readiest 

 method of constructing an apparatus. I hope you will at- 

 tend to this, being persuaded, that it is the difficulties that 

 are first met with which have prevented other chemists from 

 following the steps of Mr. Davy. 

 I remain, Sir, 



Your obedient reader, 



A. E. 



P. S. I understand Mr. Hachett has written something 

 on the subject, but I have not seen an account of his expe- 

 riments. 



REPLY. 



As the experiment never fails in the laboratory of the 

 Royal Institution, I apprehend a brief account of the man- 

 ner in which it is there performed will be the most satisfac- 

 tory answer I can give to my correspondent. 



A common gunbarre!, made very clean, and bent in the ^^.^^^^ <jg. 



manner scribed. 



