99 
on the Nature of certain Bodies. 
I have endeavoured to collect the results of this operation, 
by causing the explosion to take place in large exhausted 
plate glass retorts ; but, except in a case in which I used only 
about a quarter of a grain, I never succeeded. Generally the 
retort, though connected with the air pump at the time, was 
broken into atoms ; and the explosion produced by a grain of 
potassium, and an equal quantity of the fluid, has appeared to 
me considerably louder than that of a musket. 
In the case in which I succeeded in exploding a quarter of 
a grain, it was not possible for me to ascertain if any gaseous 
matter was evolved ; but a solid compound was formed of a 
very deep gray tint, which burnt, throwing off’ bright scintil- 
lations, when gently heated, which inflamed when touched 
with water, and gave most brilliant sparks, like those thrown 
off by iron in oxygene gas. 
Its properties certainly differed from those of any compound 
of sulphur and potassium that I have seen : whether it contains 
the muriatic basis must however be still a matter of inquiry. 
There is, however, much reason for supposing, that in the 
singular phenomena of inflammation and detonation that have 
been described, the muriatic acid cannot be entirely passive : 
and it does not seem unfair to infer, that the transfer of its 
oxygene and the production of a novel substance, are con- 
nected with such effects, and that the highly inflammable 
nature of the new compounds, partly depends upon this cir- 
cumstance. I am still pursuing the inquiry, and I shall not fail 
immediately to communicate to the Society, such results as 
may appear to me worthy of their attention. 
