652 
ALUMINIUM. 
developed. Then a piece of potash moistened; and to 
my great surprise, I found metallic matter formed. 
“ October 6th . — This matter instantly burnt when it touched 
water — swam on its surface, reproducing potash. 
“In dry oxygen gas, likewise, it burnt into perfectly dry 
potash.” 
It is stated, that when he saw the minute globules of 
potassium burst through the crust of potash, and take fire as 
they entered the atmosphere, he could not contain his joy; 
he actually danced about the room in ecstatic delight, and 
some little time was required for him to compose himself 
sufficiently to continue the experiment. 
The earths had been suspected by the elder chemists, 
particularly by Boyle, Becher, and Stahl, to be capable of 
conversion into metallic substances, although they had vainly 
sought for modes of effecting this important desideratum. 
The discovery of potassium, however, sometimes aided by a 
modified application of the galvanic force, soon completely 
established the truthfulness of their conjectures. 
Among the metallic bases of the earths we find aluminum , 
or almnium , or, as it is now called, aluminium. The earth 
alumina is a substance of common occurrence in the mineral 
world, and of great importance to the arts. According to 
Brande, its nature was ascertained by Sir H. Davy, in 1808, 
who found that potassa was generated by passing the vapour 
of potassium over white-hot alumina: he did not, however, 
determine the properties of its base. This has since been 
more accurately effected by Wohler. His plan consists in 
heating the chloride of aluminum, by means of a spirit lamp, 
with pure potassium, in a small platinum or porcelain cruci- 
ble. When the crucible is cold, its contents are well washed 
with cold water, when a finely-divided gray substance, having 
a degree of metallic lustre, is obtained, which is aluminum . 
Of this new metal, so called, the following glowing descrip- 
tion a short time since appeared in the scientific journals : 
“A New Metal. — A very remarkable discovery was an- 
nounced to the Academy of Sciences, by M. Dumas, at its 
last sitting. He stated that M. Saint Clair Deville had suc- 
ceeded in obtaining from clay a metal as white and brilliant 
as silver, as malleable as gold, and as light as glass ; it is 
fusible at a moderate temperature. Air and damp do not 
affect this metal, which is called aluminium ; it retains its 
brilliancy, and is not affected by nitric, sulphuric, or hydro- 
sulphuric acid, either strong or diluted, if the temperature be 
not raised. It is only dissolved by very hot chlorhydric acid. 
Several specimens of this metal were exhibited to the Academy, 
