"Of late years, some of the earths (especially s and strontian, which were unknown to antiquity) having been found to possess alkaline properties in no ambiguous degree, these have been by some chemists absolutely associated with the alkalies; by others have received the term alkaline earths, to express this resemblance which in the two above mentioned almost amounts to identity of properties; but in the two others, lime and magnesia, the agreement is only partial."