355 
the "Decomposition of the Earths , &c. 
moistened, so as to be rendered a conductor, and placed on a 
plate of platina, which was made positive in the circuit of the 
large battery. The quicksilver was made negative by means 
of a platina wire. The action of the quicksilver on the salt was 
immediate ; a strong effervescence with much heat took place. 
The globule in a few minutes had enlarged to five times its 
former dimensions, and had the appearance of an amalgam 
of zinc ; and metallic crystallizations shot from it, as a centre, 
round the body of the salt. They had an arborescent appear- 
ance, often became coloured at their points of contact with 
the muriate ; and when the connection was broken, rapidly 
disappeared, emitting ammoniacal fumes, and reproducing 
quicksilver. 
When a piece of moistened carbonate of ammonia was used, 
the appearances were the same, and the amalgam was formed 
with equal rapidity. In this process of deoxydation, when the 
battery was in powerful action, a black matter formed in the 
cavity, which there is every reason to believe was carbonaceous 
matter from the decomposition of the carbonic acid of the car- 
bonate.* 
The strong attraction of potassium, sodium, and the metals of 
the alkaline earths for oxygene, induced me to examine whe- 
ther their deoxydating powers could not be made to produce 
the effect of the amalgamation of ammonia, independently of 
the agency of electricity ; and the result was very satisfactory. 
When mercury, united to a small quantity of potassium, 
sodium, barium, or calcium, was made to act upon moistened 
* The black matter which separates at the negative surface in the electrical expe- 
riments on the decomposition of potash or soda, and which some experimenters have 
found it difficult to account for, is I find carbonaceous, and dependent upon^the pre- 
sence of carbonic acid in the alkali. 
Zz 2 
