ANALOGY BETWEEN CHARCOAL AXD HYDROGEN. J\ 



IX. 



Qn the Identity of the Base of Charcoal with Hidrogen, or 

 its Base, In a Letter from Dr. John New. 



To Mr. NICHOLSON. 



Stapleton, near Bristol, April 24th, 1809. 



I 



SIR, 



N the 18th volume of your valuable Journal, p. 43, is Reciprocal ac 

 inserted a paper, entitled " Report on a Memoir of Mr. and "harcwxl" 

 •J Berthollet, jun. entitled, Inquiries concerning the reei- 

 «* procal Action of 8ulphur and Charcoal; by Messrs. 

 " Fourcroy, Deyeux, and Vauquelin." 



The general conclusions from the experiments are, 



" 1st. That charcoal contains hidrogen, which the most Charcoal con- 

 " intense heat we can produce will not completely expel," uins hidr °g en - 



M 2d. That sulphur at a red heat acts upon hidrogen, Sulphur forms 

 " and forms compounds in very different proportions, on a compound 

 « which their properties depend." with hidrogen, 



" 3rd. That charcoal deprived of hidrogen, or at lean 1 with charcoal 



" nearly so, forms with sulphur a solid compound, into de,jri ei ot 



1-11 it • 11 • ». hidrogen, 



" which the sulphur enters in a small proportion. 



" 4th. That at a high temperature sulphur, carbon, ana* or with both; 

 " hidrogen unite into a compound, which assumes the state 

 «' of gas." 



" 5th. And lastly, That sulphur contains hidrogen." and contains 



The perusal of this important paper furnishes me with \ ro S en - 

 an opportunity ©f communicating an opinion, which I nave, base oFchar- 6 

 for some years, entertained : That charcoal and hidrogen CJ al > or - m °- 

 are modifications of one and the same substance, or that hi- ^w^ 00 * 

 drogen is the base of charcoal. 



My opinion was formed from tho result of various expe- This opinion 

 riments and obervations, made at a time when expeniuen- ^ ™ment '* 

 tal chemistry was a favourite amusement ; but which very 

 different pursuits have obliged me reluctantly to relin- 

 quish. 



Should this opinion be confirmed fay accurate expefi- 

 merits, (and it appears to me to have been nearly proved 

 by Berthollet in the Memoir above quoted, ;*o4 least by ana- 

 lysis 



experiment, 



