on the Nature of certain Bodies. gy 
muriatic acid, it was desirable to ascertain what would be the 
effects of potassium upon it in these singular compounds. 
When potassium was introduced into the fluid, generated 
by the action of phosphorus on corrosive sublimate, at first it 
slightly effervesced, from the action of the liquid on the moist 
crust of potash surrounding it ; but the metal soon appeared 
perfectly splendid, and swimming on the surface. I attempted 
to fuse it by heating the fluid, but it entered into ebullition at a 
temperature below that of the fusion of the potassium ; indeed 
the mere heat of the hand was sufficient for the effect. On 
examining the potassium, I found that it was combined at the 
surface with phosphorus, and gave phosphurefted hydrogene 
by its operation upon water. 
I endeavoured, by repeatedly distilling the fluid from potas- 
sium in a close vessel, to free it from phosphorus, and in this 
way I succeeded in depriving it of a considerable quantity of 
this substance 
I introduced ten or twelve drops of the liquid, which had 
been thus treated, into a small plate glass retort, containing 
six grains of potassium ; the retort was exhausted after having 
been twice filled with hydrogene, the liquid was made to boil, 
and the retort kept warm till the whole had disappeared as 
elastic vapour. The potassium was then heated by the point 
of a spirit lamp ; it had scarcely melted, when it burst into a 
most brilliant flame, as splendid as that of phosphorus in 
oxygene gas, and the retort was destroyed by the rapidity of 
combustion. 
In other trials made upon smaller quantities after various 
failures, I was at last able to obtain the results ; there was no 
proof of the evolution of any permanent elastic fluid during 
MDCCCIX. O 
