63 
Mr. Davy’s Experiments on 
That nitrogene is not a metal in the form of gas, is almost 
demonstrated by the nature of the fusible substance from am- 
monia, and (even supposing no reference to be made to the 
experiments detailed in this paper,) the general analogy of 
chemistry would lead to the notion of its being compounded. 
Should it be established by future researches that hydro- 
gene is a protoxide of ammonium, ammonia a deutoxide, and 
nitrogene a tritoxide of the same metal, the theory of chemis- 
try would attain a happy simplicity, and the existing arrange- 
ments would harmonize with all the new facts. The class of 
pure inflammable bases, would be metals capable of alloying 
with each other, and of combining with protoxides. Some of 
the bases would be known only in combination, those of sul- 
phur, phosphorus,* and of the boracic, fluoric, and muriatic 
acids ; but the relations of their compounds would lead to the 
* The electrization of sulphur and phosphorus, goes far to prove that they contain 
combined hydrogene. From the phenomena of the action of potassium upon them in 
my first experiments, 1 conceived that they contained oxygene, though as I have stated 
in the appendix to the last Bakerian lecture, the effects may be explained on a different 
supposition. The vividness of the ignition in the process, appeared an evidence in favour 
of their containing oxygene, till I discovered that similar phaenomena were produced 
by the combination of arsenic and tellurium with potassium In some late experiments 
on the action of potassium on sulphur and phosphorus, and on sulphuretted hydrogene, 
and on phosphnretted hydrogene, [ find that the phenomena differ very much ac- 
cording to the circumstances of the experiment, and in some instances, I have obtained 
a larger volume of gas from potassium after it had been exposed to the action of cer- 
tain of these bodies, than it would have given alone. These experiments are still in 
progress, and I shall soon lay an account of them before the Society. The idea of the 
existence of oxygene in sulphur and phosphorus, is however still supported by various 
analogies. Their being nonconductors of electricity is one argument in favour of this. 
Potassium and sodium I find when heated in hydrogene, mixed with a small quantity 
of atmospheric air, absorb both oxygene and hydrogene, and become nonconducting 
inflammable bodies analogous to resinous and oily substances. 
