102 



ON THE METALS OP EARTHS. 



acids, evaporation, and treatment with regents, oxide of 

 iron, alkali, and notable quantities of the earth employed 

 in the experiment. 

 Amalgams Though I could not procure decided evidences of the pro- 



formed with duction of an amalgam from the metals of the common 

 earths. earths, yet 1 succeeded perfectly by the same method of 



operating in making amalgams of the alkaline earths. 

 Lime, and Bypassing potassium through lime and magnesia, and 



magnesia. then introducing mercury, I obtained solid amalgams, which 

 consisted of potassium, the metal of the earth employed, and 

 mercury. 

 Amalgam of The amalgam from magnesia was easily deprived of its 

 magnesia. potassium by the action of water. It then appeared as a 

 solid white metallic mass, which by exposure to the air be- 

 came covered with a dry white powder; and which, when 

 acted upon by weak muriatic acid, gave ofFhidrogen gas in 

 considerable quantities, and produced a solution of mag- 

 nesia. 

 Proportions of By operations performed in this manner, there is good 

 ™^*f *" ? reason to believe, it will be possible to procure quantities of 

 obtained. the metals of the alkaline earths, sufBcient for determining 



their nature and agencies, and the quantities of oxigen 

 which they absorb; and by the solution of the alloys con- 

 taining the metals of the common earths, it seems probable, 

 that the proportions of metallic matter in these bodies may 

 likewise be ascertained. 

 Hypothetical On an hypothesis which I have before brought before the 

 Society, namely, that the pov/er of chemical attraction and 

 electrical action may be different exhibitions of the same 

 property of matter ; and that oxigen and inflammable bodies 

 are in relations of attraction, wiiich correspond to the ftinc- 

 tions of being negative and positive respectively ; it would 

 follow, that the attractions of acids for salifiable bases would 

 be inversely as the quantity of oxigen that they contain ; and 

 supposing the power of attraction to be measured by the 

 quantity of basis which an acid dissolves, it would be easy 

 to infer the quantities of oxigen and metallic matter from the 

 quantities of acid and of basis in a neutral salt. On this idea 

 I had early in 1808 concluded, that barytes must contain 

 the least oxigen of all the earths; and that the order, as to 



the 



calculation. 



