2S0 
POTASSIUM AND SODIUM. 
mixture of alkali and animal matter, is conducted first over 
the surface of fused alkali (the said alkali having no admix- 
ture of carbon) and afterwards into a vessel containing a 
solution of alkali. The other of these methods directs that 
the ammonia, which results from animal matter exposed to 
heat, be made to pass upwards and downwards through a 
series of vertical pipes, arranged on the principle of inverted 
syphons, heated to redness, and charged with a mixture of 
charcoal, potash, and iron, reduced to small fragments. 
With regard to the former of these methods, it is well known 
to chemists that fused alkali has no power of decomposing 
ammonia into cyanogen unless carbon be present; and with 
regard to the latter method, it is obvious that, as the mate- 
rials, if brought into a state of fluidity or pastiness, must, of 
necessity, choke the passage of the pipes, the method de- 
mands that the mixture in the inverted syphons should be 
kept from losing its solid or granular state ; and the continu- 
ance of that state is secured by the large proportion of in- 
fusible charcoal compared to the fusible potash, which the 
patentee prescribes, as fulfilling his intentions in a satisfac- 
tory manner. 
Now, under the present invention, the patentee makes 
use of charcoal or other form of carbon, in powder, mixed 
with one of the alkalies, or its carbonate or other salt, capa- 
ble, under the circumstances, of surrendering its metallic 
base to cyanogen. This mixture is constantly maintained 
in a fused state, so as to be fluid, or at least in a pasty con- 
dition, which is highly favourable for converting the metal- 
lic base of the alkali, or its salt, into a cyanide, and which 
takes place rapidly under such circumstances, when a cur- 
rent of ammonia gas is introduced to the fused mixture. 
The metallic base of potash, or soda, or of their compounds 
respectively, as the case may be, is liberated by the agency 
of the heated carbon, assisted by the affinity of the metallic 
base for thecyanogon, which is at the same time formed by 
the combination of heated carbon with the nitrogen of the 
