CHEMICAL TIITSORY ILLUSTRATED BY NEW FACTS. HI 



iqiiantity of potash, in acting upon either muriate, sulphate, 

 or liitrate of magnesia, will precipitate equal quantities of 

 magnesia; but it would be absurd to infer from this, that 

 pota&h coBtained magnesia, as one of its elements; the 

 power of repelling one kind of matter, and of attracting 

 atiother kind, must be equally definite, and governed by 

 the same circumstances. 



Potassium, sodium, iron, mercury, and all metals, that 

 I have experimented upon, in acting upon muriatic acid 

 gas evolve the same quantity of hidrogen, and all form dry 

 muriates ; so that any theory of metallization, applicable to 

 potash and soda, must likewise apply to the common 

 metallic oxides. If we assume the existence of water in the 

 potash formed in muriatic acid gas, we must likewise infer 

 its existence in the oxides of iron and mercury, produced 

 in similar operations. 



The solution of the general question concerning the The nature <^f 



presence of hidrogen in all inflammable bodies will undoubt- '^® amalgara 



, . „ 1111- of ammonia o« 



edly be influenced by the decision upon the nature of the importance ia 

 amalgam from ammonia, and a matter of so much ini- deciding th» 

 portance ought not to be hastily decided upon. The diffi- 

 culty of finding any multiple of the quantity of oxigen, 

 which may be supposed to exist in hidrogen, that might be 

 applied to explain the composition of nitrogen from the 

 same basis, is undoubtedly against the simplest view of the 

 subject. But still the phlogistic explanation, that the 

 metal of ammonia is merely a compound of hidrogen and 

 nitrogen ; or that a substance which is metallic can be com- 

 posed from substances not in their own nature metallic, 

 is equally opposed to the general tenour of our chemical 

 reasonings. 



1 shall no: at present occupy the time of the Society, by 

 entering any farther into these discussions; hypothesis can 

 scarcely be considered as of any value, except as leading to 

 new experiments; and the objects in the novel field of elec- 

 trochemical research have not been snfficiently examined, to 

 enable us to decide upon their nature, and their relations, 

 or to form any general theory concerning them, which is 

 Jikely to be permanent. 



III. 



