S11] 
moisture present in the crust of potash; 
from which Mr. Dayy thinks it prohable 
that even after ignition water adheres to 
these earths, 
The results of the action of the potas- 
sium were pyrophoric substances of a 
dark grey colour, which burnt, throwing 
off brilliant sparks, and leaving behind 
alkali and earth, and which hissed vio- 
lently when thrown upon water, decom- 
posing it with great violence. Mixtures 
of the earths with potassium, intensely 
ignited in contact with iron filings, gave 
distinct results. Whethersilex, alumine, 
or glucine, was used, there was always a 
fused mass in the centre of the crucible, 
and this mass had perfect wiefallic cha- 
racters ; it was in all cases much whiter 
and harder than iron, In the instance 
in which silex was used, it broke under 
the hammer, and exhibited a crystalline 
texture. The alloys from alumine and 
glacine were imperfectly malleable. 
Hach afforded, by solution in acids, 
écc. oxide of iron, alkali, and notable 
quantities of the earth employed in 
the eéxperiment. Mr.- Davy adds, 
*€ Though I could not procure decided 
evidences of the prodyction of an 
amalzam from the metals of the com+ 
mon eartas, yet [ sacceeded perfectly by 
the sanve method of operating, in making 
amalgams of the alkaline earths, By 
passing potassium through lime and mag- 
nesia, and then introducing mercury, [ 
obtained solid amalgams, which con- 
sisted of potassium, the metal of the earth 
employed, and inercury. The amalgam 
from magnesia, was easily deprived of its 
potassium by the action of water. It 
then appeared as a solid white metallic 
mass, which, by exposure to the air, be- 
came covered.with a dry white powder, 
and which, when acted upon by weak 
muriatic acid, gave off hydrogen gas in 
pensiderable quantities, and produced a 
‘solution of magnesia.” Te conceives 
that the power of chemical attraction and 
electrical action may be different exhi- 
bitions ef the same property of matter, 
and that oxygen and inflammable bodies 
are in relations of attraction, which cor- 
respond tothe function of being negative 
and positive respectively; and, if this be 
so, 1¢ would follow that the attractions 
of acids for salifiable bases would be in- 
versely as the quantity of oxygen that 
they contain; and, supposing the power 
of attractions to be measured by the quan- 
tity of basis which an acid dissolves, it 
would be easy to infer the quantities of 
Oxygen and metallic matter from the 
. 
~ 
Proceedings of Learned Societies. 543 
quantities of acid and of basis in a neus 
tral salt, 
rytes contains the least oxygen of all the 
ea and silex the largest quantity. 
According to the most accurate analyses, 
barytes may be conceived to contain 
90°5 of metal per cent.; strontites 865 
lime 73°53; magnesia 66: and we are 
told that the same proportions would fole 
low from Mr. Dalton’s theory, viz. that 
the proportion of oxygen is the same in 
all protoxides, and that the’ quantity of 
acid is the same in all neutral salts; in 
other words, that every neutral salt is 
composed of one particle of metal, one of 
oxygen, and one of acid. ‘M. Berzelius 
states, that in making an analysis of cast 
iron, he found that it contained the me~ 
tal of silex; and that this metal in being 
oxidated took up nearly halfits weigtit of 
oxygen. ‘*If,” says the professor, “ the 
composition of ammonia be calculated 
upon accerding to the principle ahove 
stated, it ought to consist of fifty-three 
parts of metailic matter, and forty-seven 
of oxygen, which agrees very nearly with. 
the quantity of hydrogen and ammonia 
produced from the amalgam.” The earths 
and metallic oxides were formerly sup- 
posed to belong to the same class of bos 
dies, and the earths as calces which 
they had not found the means of combi- 
ning with phlogiston. Lavotsier insisted 
on this analogy: still, however, the alka~ 
lies, earths, and oxides, have been gene- 
rally considered as separate natural 
orders: but, if these be placed in distinct 
classes, the common metals must be are 
ranged under many different divisions, 
there being as strong grounds for distinct 
classification in the oné case as in the 
other; and the more the subject is ene, 
quired into, the more distinct will the 
general relations of all metallic substances 
appear, The alkalies and alkaline earths 
combine with prussic acid, and form 
compounds of different degrees of solu- 
bility: the case is analogous with solu- 
tions of galls: these are precipitated by” 
almost all neutro-saline ‘solutions; and 
they form compounds more or less solu. 
ble in water, more or less coloured, and 
differently coloured, with all saligable 
bases. The case is similar in the combinae 
tions of the alkalies and earths with oils, 
to form soaps; and of the earthy soaps, 
some are equally insoluble with the me- 
tallic soaps. The oxide of tin, and other 
oxides abounding in oxyven, approach 
very near in their general characters to 
zircon, silex, and alnmine; and, in habits 
of ainalyaniation, aud of alloy, how near 
de 
Hence be concludes that bas 
