the Decomposition oj the Earths , &c, 341 
negative surface. On this idea I tried the experiment, using 
moistened sulphate of magnesia, instead of the pure earth ; 
and I found that the amalgam was much sooner obtained. 
Here the magnesia was attracted from the sulphuric acid, and 
probably deoxygenated and combined with the quicksilver at 
the same instant. 
The amalgams of the other bases of the alkaline earths, 
could, I found, be obtained in the same manner from their 
saline compounds. 
i tried in this way very successfully, muriate and sulphate 
of lime, the muriate of strontites, and of barytes, and nitrate of 
barytes. The earths separated at the deoxygenating surface, 
there seemed instantly to undergo decomposition, and seized 
upon by the mercury, were in some measure defended from 
the action of air, and from the contact of water, and preserved 
by their strong attraction for this metal. 
III. Attempts to procure the Metals of the alkaline Earths; and 
on their Properties. 
To procure quantities of amalgams sufficient for distillation, 
I combined the methods I had before emplo} T ed, with those of 
M. M. Berzelius and Pontin. 
The earths were slightly moistened, and mixed with one- 
third of red oxide of mercury, the mixture was placed on a 
plate of platina, a cavity was made in the upper part of it to 
receive a globule of mercury, of from fifty to 60 grains in 
weight, the whole was covered by a film of naphtha, and the 
plate was made positive, and the mercury negative, by a pro- 
per communication with the battery of five hundred. 
The amalgams obtained in this way, were distilled in tubes 
