DN THE EXPLOSION OF POTASSIUM. 
221 
ART. LXIL— EXPLOSION PRODUCED BY THE COMBUSTION 
OF POTASSIUM. 
Mr. Duvivier, Pharmacien, observes as follows : — 
Reading in the Journals the accident which happened some 
time ago to Mr. Malagutti, Professor of Chemistry, attached 
to the Faculty of Sciences of Rennes, who, in trying the reac- 
tion of Potassium upon a new organic substance, had his left 
hand lacerated by the glass broken in the explosion of a tube 
with which he was operating, brings to mind an accident which 
happened to me some years ago. 
I had thrown upon water a small ball of potassium ; it in~ 
fl amed immediately and burnt, ploughing up the surface of the 
liquid. When, by the combustion, the little ball was somewhat 
reduced in volume, all at once an explosion took place, throw- 
ing in different directions particles of the flaming potassium, 
one of which struck the forehead of a person standing near, 
occasioning a slight eschar. I was the more surprised at this 
phenomenon, as I had on various occasions previous to the ac- 
cident placed potassium in contact with water, which burnt to 
its complete conversion into potash without exploding* I do 
not pretend to explain a phenomenon of this nature, or give any 
positive theory respecting it, but I have sought to account for this 
peculiarity , and with this object have reflected upon all the circum- 
stances which might concur in the production of this phenome- 
non. The potassium I employed had been wiped with bibulous 
paper to get rid of the naptha in which it had been preserved; 
its surface was slightly coated with oxide. I do not suppose 
that this particular state of the potassium could in any wise 
favour the production of this phenomenon. Allowing that the 
potassium had retained a small quantity of naptha, that the 
hydrogen of this carburet in combining with the oxygen of the 
air at the same time that its carbon in the state of carbonic 
acid united to the oxide of potassium, and that these reactions 
vol. xi. — no. in. 20 
