nating mass, for it is withdrawn too soon, if it always takes fire spontaneously. Then without loss of time enclose the calcined mass, without breaking it up, in a wide-mouthed vessel, where it gradually splits into fragments of different size, and in this state will preserve its properties for years.

When the calcination has been well performed, the product is extremely fulminating, so as to detonate with a report like fire-arms, by the first contact of water, and without requiring any compression. Instead of tartar-emetic and lamp-black, the following mixture may be used: carbonize cream of tartar by roasting it in an open crucible till it has lost about half its weight; take 75 parts of this charred tartar, 100 parts of regulus of antimony, and 12 of lamp-black, and mix the whole by constant rubbing. Then calcine it in the crucible in the way above described.

With this fulminating substance it is easy to fire gunpowder under water. The experiment was made in the following manner half an ounce of gunpowder was put into a strong glass tube closed at one end, of which the powder filled about one quarter. A piece of the fulminating alloy of the size of a pea, was laid upon the powder. The tube was immediately closed with a cork, which had been previously perforated with a small hole, stopped for the present with a little fat lute, soft enough to be readily pierced with a sharp pin when required. The tube thus prepared, was then sunk in a large vessel of water two or three feet deep, and was confined by weights to the bottom. Then the lute stopping the perforation of the cork was pierced with a steel wire fixed to the end of a long stick, and the moment that the water entered the tube the powder exploded, breaking the tube, and throwing out a four pound weight which had fixed it down.

The author then proceeds to describe several triple alloys of potassium and sodium with antimony and other metals.

Triple alloy of potassium, copper, and antimony.-This is prepared by melting together equal parts of carbonized tartar (already described) regulus of antimony, and copper filings. First rub together the carbonized tartar and antimony; put it into a crucible, cover it with the copper filings, previously mixed with a sixth part of antimony to promote its fusion, lute on the cover, and heat the whole for two hours in a furnace that draws well. This alloy, like that of antimony and copper alone, has a violet tint. It will divide into very thin brilliant plates, which flatten a little under the hammer. It is volatile in the fire. Pieces of it thrown upon mercury, covered with a little water, turn round rapidly.

Alloy of potassium, silver, and antimony.-This is prepared like the preceding alloy it is more volatile; its colour is a steel grey, and it has much lustre. It is very brittle, and contains much potassium.

Alloy of potassium, iron, and antimony.-Put at the bottom of a crucible some iron turnings, broken to small fragments, cover it with equal part of carbonized tartar and antimony, previously mixed, melt with a very strong heat, and you will have a triple alloy, containing much potassium and very brittle. A triple alloy with bismuth may be prepared in a similar manner.

Alloy of potassium and bismuth.-Rub together 60 grammes of carbonized tartar, 120 of bismuth, and one of nitre, inclose the mixture in a crucible, covered with lamp-black, close it carefully, and heat it for two hours.

This alloy is very rich in potassium. The smallest fragment gives sparkles when cut with shears. As soon as it is broken, it melts and burns, leaving a residue of a greenish oxyde.

If the above alloy is made with 10 or 12 grammes of lampblack or charcoal instead of the nitre, a pyrophorus is obtained, which takes fire by the contact of water, and bursts with small explosions. It may be used for kindling gunpowder under water.

An alloy of potassium and tin is made in the same manner as the preceding, with 100 parts of oxyde of tin, 60 of carbonized tartar, and 10 of lamp-black. A double dose of lampblack gives a pyrophorus.

An alloy of potassium and lead is produced by 100 grammes of protoxyde of lead, and 60 of carbonized tartar, and an addition of 5 to 6 grammes of lamp-black gives a pyrophorus. M. Serullas remarks in the preparation of these different alloys, that the stratum of charcoal put over them to protect them from the action of the air, though in no way mixed with them, acquires the property of spontaneous inflammation in the air. This he can only attribute to the presence of potassium volatilized during the fusion, and retained by the charcoal. To pursue further the subject of the separation of potassium from its alloys by heat, the following experiment was made. A gun-barrel was cut nearly in halves, the longer end, which was closed by the breech at one extremity, was filled with a mixture of 50 grammes of carbonized tartar, 70 of litharge, and 2 of lamp-black. The barrel was curved slightly at the open extremity, to which was attached the recipient of GayLussac and Thenard for the preparation of potassium. The barrel was then thrust perpendicularly into a furnace up to

its junction with the recipient, and gradually heated nearly to the melting-point of the iron by a powerful bellows. The first products that were given out were, as usual, water, empyreumatic oil, and yellow vapour, all of which were allowed to escape with every appearance of moisture, before the second part of the recipient was luted on. The bent tube of glass, by which the latter is usually elongated, was dipped under a cup of water. After the fire had been kept up for two hours, there was so rapid an evolution of gas, as to carry out with it a great quantity of the distilled matter, and portions of potassium came up from time to time, and burned on the surface of the water in the cup. The heat was continued for two hours longer with great intensity, and was then discontinued, though the evolution of gas was still very vigorous, for fear of the barrel (which was not defended by lute) giving way. The apparatus was examined as soon as it was cold. The recipient contained nothing but a few fragments of the matter projected by the torrent of gas. Just at the upper extremity of the barrel was deposited an alloy of potassium and lead, which, when thrown on mercury covered with a little water, burned as strongly as pure potassium. The barrel was sawn asunder at about three inches from the end, and shewed in this point and near it, a considerable quantity (7 or 8 grammes) of potassium, nearly pure, that had condensed in that spot, and lay in plates above the alloy. When removed, it was melted in rectified petroleum to purify it, but a violent action took place, a large part of the potassium was destroyed, and only a few beautiful silver-white globules were preserved. This result may perhaps lead to a method of obtaining a considerable quantity of potassium, through the medium of alloys with the more fusible of the fixed metals. The latter, as M. Vauquelin has observed, facilitate extremely the reduction of potash by charcoal, uniting in the process with as much as a fifth part of the alkaline metal, or even more.

In certain situations the alloy of bismuth and potassium offers an excellent test of the complete desiccation of gas. All that is required is, to pass up a small fragment of the alloy to the gas confined over mercury, when the least moisture will make it turn round.

The following article is translated from the Revue Encyclopedique for July, 1823, published at Paris. The article is not without merit as a speculation upon the subject of public economy, and contains some suggestions well worthy of attention; but we give it to our readers rather as a specimen of the present mode of thinking in France upon subjects that are at all times interesting, than as containing many new thoughts, or being remarkable for the profoundness and extent of the writer's views.]

ART. X.-An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. By ADAM SMITH. Translated by the late Marquis Garnier. Second edition, with additional Notes and Observations. Paris, 1822. Six vols. 8vo.

Is political economy a moral science, or a science of mere calculation?* The writers of antiquity, and almost all the modern, who preceded the school of Quesnay, treated it as a moral science. According to them, it is a knowledge of the principles upon which social order and prosperity depend, that of the resources of society, and the means of employing those resources for the advantage of the state, at home and abroad. Among the ancients, Aristotle, Xenophon, and Plato, wrote in this sense; and Fenelon, Montesquieu, and J. J. Rousseau, among ourselves. Quesnay and his school were the first who supposed they had discovered the foundation of political economy in material objects, and who reduced this science to one of mere calculation. According to their speculations, all political economy is nothing but a knowledge of what they denominate net product, and of its effects. Land, they say, yields to its proprietor a surplus over and above the expenses of cultivation and the profits of the tenant. It is this rent that constitutes the public riches, and to augment which should be the care of the government. The whole system of economy rests upon this assumed fact. Enlightened men of unquestionable talent, Turgot, Dupont de Nemours, the abbe Morellet, have all, in a greater or less degree, maintained this doctrine. The translator of Smith, whose work we announce, belongs to this celebrated school of French economists. The part of this book written by him, every where proves how much he has adhered to the notions of this

It is a political science, involving many questions of a moral kind, and many of mere calculation of disbursements and receipts.

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school, even when he thought himself departing from them. It has been the object of this school to inquire into the origin and nature of riches, and they have occupied themselves especially, respecting the preservation and increase of riches, upon which they suppose the whole social economy to depend. Among the ancients, also, Aristotle, that scientific genius, so skilful in distinguishing and classing the subjects of human knowledge, had conceived, as an object worthy of particular attention, an inquiry into the sources of wealth and the causes of its progress. This he made a science, which he called the chremalistic science, or chrysology (the science of riches); but, in his view, it was only a branch of the public economy; a collection of facts and observations calculated to throw light upon the admirable economy of human societies. The ancient philosopher or the modern thinkers; which have the more just notions upon this subject ?*

The writer cannot intend to be understood that Smith or the other economists of his school, supposed that the political institutions, religion, morals, and manners of a people, are not of the greatest importance. They understood political economy to be a science relating to the production, distribution, and consumption of wealth. The writer admits that these are proper subjects of a distinct science, for which he borrows the name of chrysology from Aristotle. But whether this science is designated by one or the other of these names, is of very little importance, and since it has been known under the name of political economy for so long a time, and has been introduced into all the treatises and speculations of authors and politicians, under this name, it is certainly convenient to continue the use of the expression in the same sense.

But though we should continue to call the science of national wealth, political economy, it may still be a question how far this subject is connected with political and religious institutions, morals, and manners; and we agree with the writer of the above article, that Smith, Say, Malthus, Ricardo, and the other writers upon this subject, who are now the most read and most frequently cited, have, in this respect, taken limited views. The political and religious institutions, the customs, habits, morals, manners, and opinions of a people, not only constitute their national character, and determine their prosperity, happiness, and power, but produce these effects partly by their influence on the productive faculties of the nation. As far as they have this influence, they are strictly subjects belonging to the science of political economy, in the present acceptation of the expression. The modes of industry and the degree of national wealth, again, have a great influence upon the institutions, morals, manners, and happiness of a people, and to the extent of this influence, these last are subjects properly coming within the science of public economy. The desideratum, in this science, is, to point out and demonstrate these influences, as Adam Smith has explained and elucidated the processes of production. It is not enough that a writer treats of economy and politics in the same book, like Aristotle, Stewart, and a hundred others. A work is still wanting that shall more systematically and scientifically trace the connexion of different modes of production and consumption, and different degrees of national wealth, with the well-being and lasting happiness of the great body of a community. That this connexion