Most sincerely yours,
H. Davy.
In the year 1808, MM. Gay Lussac and Thénard succeeded in decomposing potash by chemical means; for which purpose it is only necessary to heat iron turnings to whiteness in a curved gun-barrel, and then to bring melted potash slowly in contact with the turnings, air being excluded; when the iron, at that high temperature, will take the oxygen from the alkali, and the potassium may be collected in a cool part of the tube. It may likewise be produced by igniting potash with charcoal, as M. Curaudau showed in the same year.
In the following letter, Davy gives an account of his repeating the experiment of MM. Gay Lussac and Thénard; mixing together, as usual, science and angling.
TO J. G. CHILDREN, ESQ.
London, July 1808.
MY DEAR SIR,
I have this moment received your kind letter, and I have written to Pepys to propose to him to be with you on Sunday or Monday. I hope for his answer to-morrow morning, and I will write to you immediately.
I will procure all the fishing tackle you have proposed, and am most happy to find you in so determined a spirit for piscatory adventure.
I have had some letters from France; but nothing new, except an account of the gun-barrel experiment tolerably minute. I have tried it since, and procured potassium, but it was lost from some moisture passing into the aperture of the barrel. All that is necessary for the process is a gun-barrel bent thus,—— B represents the part where the touch-hole is closed; here dry potash is introduced; and the middle, which is to be strongly ignited, contains the filings; the potash is gradually fused and made to run down upon the ignited iron; the potassium collects in A.
