24 Mr. Davy’s Experiments on 
combine with a small quantity of hydrogene, or its basis ? Or are 
there some sources of inaccuracy in those processes, in whicli 
nitrogene has appeared to be decomposed? The discussion of 
these difficult problems will be considered in that part of this 
lecture, in which the nature of ammonia will be illustrated by 
some new experiments. The object of the present part of the 
enquiry is the demonstration of a part of chemical doctrine, no 
less important and fundamental to a great mass of reasoning, 
namely, that by the operation of potassium upon ammonia, it 
is not a metallic body that is decompounded, but the volatile 
alkali, and that the hydrogene produced does not arise from 
the potassium, as is asserted by the French chemists, but from 
the ammonia , as I have always supposed ; the potassium in the 
most refined experiments is recovered, but neither the ammonia 
nor its elements can be reproduced, except by introducing a 
new body, which contains oxygene and hydrogene, 
I have made an experiment upon the action of sodium on 
ammonia, with the same precautions as in the experiments 
just detailed, a tray, and the same tube of platina being 
employed. 
3- To g ra i ns °f sodium I found absorbed 9.1 of ammonia, 
and produced about 4.5 of hydrogene, and the fusible sub- 
stance, which was very similar to that from potassium, dis- 
tilled, did not give off- 1 - of the ammonia that had disappeared ; 
and this small quantity I am inclined to attribute to the pre- 
sence of moisture. The permanent gas produced, equalled 
twelve cubical inches, and by detonation with oxygene, proved 
to consist of nearly two of hydrogene, to one of nitrogene. 
Sodium w r as regenerated, but an accident prevented me from 
ascertaining the quantity. 
