1809] 
ether white and terbid.” In ether and 
aicuhot the energy of its action is pro- 
portional to the quantity of water they 
coutain, and hydrogen and potash are 
the constant result. 
Potassium thrown into solutions of the 
nineral acids, inflames and burns on’ 
the surface. It readily combines with 
the simple and inflammable solids and 
with metals; with phosphorus and sulphur, 
forming compounds sinilar to the me- 
tallic phosphurets and sulphurets. When 
it is brought into contact with a piece 
of phosphorus, and pressed upon, there 
is a considerable avtion; they become 
fluid together, burn, and produce phos- 
phate of potash. When potassium is 
brought ito contact with salpbur in 
fusion in the atmé osphere, a great inflain- 
mation takes place and sulphuret of pot- 
ash is formed. The sulphuretted basis 
becomes oxygenated by exposure tu the 
air, and is finally converted into sul-. 
When one part of potassium is. 
phate. 
added to 8 or 10° parts of mercury at 
about 60° of Fahrenheit, they inst: antly 
unite, and form a substance like mercury 
in colour, but’ less coherent, and small 
portions of it appear as flattened spheres, 
When a globule is made to. touch a glo- 
bule of mercury about twice as large, 
they combine with heat; the compound 
is fluid at ithe temperature of its forma- 
tion; but when cool it appears as a solid 
metal, similar in colour to silver. [f the 
potassium be still micreased the amalgam 
becomes harder, and brittle. — When the 
proportions are 1 of potassium and 70 of 
mercury the amalgam is soft and mal- 
Jeable. If the compounds are exposed 
to air, they rapidly absorb oxygen ; pot- 
wsh which deliquesces is formed, and in 
a few minutes the mercury is found ae 
and unaltered, When avlobale of amaloat 
is thrown into water, it rapidly decouipo- 
ses it with a hissing noise; potash is 
formed, pure hydrogen is ‘disengaged, 
and the mercury remains free. The 
action of potassium upon the inflamma- 
ble oily compound bodies,* confirms the 
other facts of the strength of its attrac- 
tion for oxygen. On recently distilled 
naptha it has very little action; butin 
napiha that has. been exposed to the 
air, it soon oxydates, and alkah is formed, 
which unites with the naptha, into a 
brown soap that collects round the glo- 
bule. On concrete and fixed oils, w hen 
heated, it acts slowly, coaly matter is 
deposited, a little gas is evolved, anda 
soap is formed. By heat it rapid! y dee 
composes the volaule oils. 
Proceedings of Learned Societies. 273 
Potassium readily reduces metallic 
oxides, when heated in contact with 
them: it decomposes readily flint and 
green glass, with a gentle heat; alkali 
is immediately formed by oxyges from 
the oxides which ‘dissolves the glass, and 
a new surface 1s soon Pgs oe to the 
agent, ~ ’ 
We shall in our next, give a more de- 
tailed account of the decomposition of 
soda; and shall now present the reader 
with a short analysis of the application 
of the gas frum coal to economical pur- 
poses by Mer. William Murdoch. This 
gentleman by means of coal-gas come 
pletely lighted up last winter, the cotton 
manufactory of Messvs. Phillips and Lee, 
at Manchester, the largest in the king 
dom. The light used, was ascertained to 
be equal to that produced by 2500 mould, 
candies of six to the pound. In this in- 
stance the coal was distilled in ion re-= 
torts, which were kept constantly at 
work, and the gas as it rose was convey~ 
ed by iron pipes into lyrge reservoirs, 
where it was worked and purified, pre= 
viously to its being conveyed through 
other pipes called mains to the mill, 
The burners, where the gas was Const 
med, were connected with the mains by 
short tubes, each of which was furnished 
with a cock to regulate the admission of 
the gas to each burner, and to shut it off 
when requisite. The burners were of 
two kinds: the one was upon the prin- 
ciple of the Argand lamp, and resembled 
it in appearance, the other was a small 
curved tube with -a conical end, having 
three circular apertures of about the Ath 
of an inch in diameter, through Wines 
the gas issued, forming three divergent 
jets-of flame, ey like a fleur de- 
lis. This tube, from its shape and ap- 
pearance, was called the cockspur burner. 
In the whole building there were 271 ar- 
gands, and 683 cogkspurs; each of the 
former giving a light equal to four can- 
dles, and each of the latter a light equal 
to 2@t, All together require an hourly 
‘supply of 1250 cubic feet of gas, produ- 
ced from cannel coal, 
The whole annual expence, allowing, 
550/. for apparatus, is reckoned at 6001. 
but that of candles, to give the same 
light, would be 2000/. supposing candles 
one shilling ver lb. only. This calcula- 
tion was made on the supposition that 
the light was used only two hours per 
day, through the year, butif it be requi- 
red three hours: the cost will be 6501. 
for gas, and S@0/. for candles. At first 
there was sume inconvenience from the 
simeil 
