the Decomposition of the Earths , &c. pf<> 
hydrogene, with peculiar unknown bases, and that the oxides, 
alkalies, and acids were compounds of the same bases with 
water, and that the phsenomena presented by the metals of the 
fixed alkalies might be explained on this hypothesis. 
The same mode of reasoning may be applied to the facts 
of the metallization of the earths and ammonia, and perhaps 
with rather stronger evidences in its favour, but still it will 
be less, distinct and simple, than the usually received theory 
of oxygenation, which I have applied to them. 
The general facts of the combustion, and of the action of 
these new combustible substances upon water, are certainly 
most easily explained on the hypothesis of Lavoisier ; and 
the only good arguments in favour of a common principle of 
inflammability, flow from some of the novel analogies in 
electrochemical science. 
Assuming the existence of hydrogene in the amalgam of 
ammonium, its presence in one metallic compound evidently 
leads to the suspicion of its combination in others. And in 
the electrical powers of the different species of matter, there 
are circumstances which extend the idea to combustible sub- 
stances in general. Oxygene is the only body which can be 
supposed to be elementary, attracted by the positive surface 
in the electrical circuit, and all compound bodies, the nature of 
which is known, that are attracted by this surface, contain a 
considerable proportion of oxygene. Hydrogene is the only 
matter attracted by the negative surface, which can be con- 
sidered as acting the opposite part to oxygene ; may not then 
the different inflammable bodies, supposed to be simple, con- 
tain this as a common element ? 
Should future experiments prove the truth of this hypo- 
A a 2 
