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XXIII. Experiments on the Formation of Volatile Alkali, and on 
the Affinities of the Phlogiflicated and light Inflammable Airs . 
By William A lift in, M. D. Fellow of the College of Phyji - 
cians ; communicated by Charles Blagden, M.D. Sec. R. S. 
i f 
Read May 29, 1787. 
I N the former part of the year 1787, I undertook to exa- 
. mine the elaftic fluid produced upon decompoftng volatile 
alkali by the eledtric ftroke, as firft fuggefted by Dr. Priest- 
ley. Some alkaline air being thus decompofed, and all its 
inflammable part feparated by combuftion in glafs vefl'els in- 
verted in quickftlver, I obferved a confiderable remainder of 
phlogifticated air; and after many accurate experiments was 
fully convinced, that this phlogifticated air had made a part in 
the conftitution of the alkali. This difcovery induced me to 
make a variety of fynthetical experiments on the phlogifticated 
and light inflammable airs, with the hopes of forming volatile 
alkali from its Ample elements. In this undertaking I alfo de- 
rived much affiftance from the ingenious labours of Dr. 
Priestley; who, in the courle of his experiments, had been 
repeatedly ftruck with the fmell of volatile alkali from fub- 
ftances not fuppofed to contain it, and had pointed out fome 
important phenomena attending its produdtion. But having 
acquired a more perfect knowledge of its conftituent parts, I 
was enabled to produce volatile alkali in a more Ample manner, 
and more demonftrative of its elements, than he had done. 
Vol. LXXVIII. E e e I was 
