Emily Dickinson Lexicon

PO-TAS'SI-UM, n.

A name given to the metallic basis of pure fixed vegetable alkali. According to Dr. Davy, 100 parts of potassa consist of 86.1 parts of the basis, and 13.9 of oxygen. – Med. Repos. Potassium has the most powerful affinity for oxygen of all substances known; it takes it from every other compound, and hence is a most important agent in chimical analysis.