Mr. Davy on a new fulminating platinum. 14,3 
with a surface of mercury, the affinity of this metal inter- 
fered, and it slowly formed amalgams with the metallic part 
of the powders. This view of the facts seems to derive 
additional evidence from the circumstance, that in cases 
when no explosions occurred, the powders remained sta- 
tionary, and gradually acquired a whitish colour from amal- 
gamation. 
I tried to explode the powder by friction, and did not at 
first succeed, but on well drying it, and warming the vessels 
in which the experiment was to be made, I was able to 
explode it, both in a Wedgwood and steel mortar. The effect 
was feeble, and consisted merely of a few slight cracks. Ful- 
minating gold is much more readily exploded in this way. 
I was unsuccessful in my attempts to explode fulminating 
platinum by percussion.* The powder did not appear to 
conduct electricity, when tried with a power of forty plates 
of four inches square, charged so as to burn thin iron wire ; 
but when the spark was taken from two metallic surfaces in 
the vicinity of the powder, a few particles of it exploded and 
produced a red light. I afterwards well dried some fulmi- 
nating platinum and gold, and when a battery of two hun- 
dred plates of four inches square was in good action, so as 
readily to burn the different metals, I could not succeed in 
exploding either of the powders. Fulminating mercury was 
instantly fired under the same circumstances. When the 
charge of a Leyden battery of fifteen large jars was passed 
through a quarter of a grain of fulminating platinum, most 
* I was unable also to explode fulminating gold by percussion. I made the 
attempt with both powders, in a steel mortar warmed before the fire. The steel 
pestle was also warm, and the powders previously well dried. 
