Royal Society. 3 6 7 



hteppfty led the way. The right hon. baronet then took a. 

 view of the various papers furnished to the Society bv this 

 philosopher in 1797, 1800, and 1808 ; and concluded In- 

 stating that Dr. Henry, with the most patriotic views, is now 

 devoting every moment, not engaged in professional duties., 

 to an investigation of muriate of soda, in order to ascertain 

 the real nature of this useful article, and develop the cause 

 why that of our own manufacture is not so effectual in pre- 

 serving fish, as the salt of warmer climates. The success 

 which has hitherto crowned his labours in this important 

 research, induces him to hope that he will be able to ascer- 

 tain the true cause of the difference between English and 

 foreign salt, and to point out the means of remedying its 

 defects, and improving this important part of our manufac- 

 tures. The president then congratulated the Society on the 

 rapid progress of science, and the general tranquillity in the 

 British dominions, while the nations on the Continent are 

 involved in misery and sanguinary war: — and reverted to the 

 brilliant discoveries of Mr. Davy, which have shed a lustre 

 on the present age. 



Dec. 8. The president in the chair. — A letter from Dr. 

 Henry to Mr. Davy, on the existence of oxygen in ammo- 

 niacal gas, was read. Dr. H. inserted two pieces of platina. 

 wire in straight tubes of glass hermetically sealed, placed 

 them in a glass globe, and made the galvanic fluid pass over 

 the ammonia, when a considerable portion of oxygen <>as 

 (about six per cent) was found to be disengaged, without 

 the possibility of its having been furnished by the materials 

 used in the process. The minute operations and experi- 

 ments performed by Dr. H., to prove the existence of oxy- 

 gen in ammonia, tend to confirm fully Mr. Davy's opinions 

 and experiments on the base of this substance. 



Dec. 15. The reading of the Bakerian Lecture by 

 Humphry Davy, Esq., Sec. R. S. " On some Analytical 

 Researches, concerning the Elements of certain Bodies ; tviih 

 someOhservations on Chemical Theory," commenced. — fa the 

 Introduction, Mr. Davy observed, that his objects in these 

 Inquiries were to ascertain precisely, the nature of the ele 

 ments of ammonia, and the alkaline substances ; to attempt 



the 



