Experiments on Charcoal, 163 



done, and we know that the combination of charcoal and 

 fulphur prefenls nothing very interefting*. It is, however, 

 pofiible that in abler hands this fubftance may be the mean 

 of leading to new discoveries. 



CONCLUSIONS. 



ift, The nature of the gas has no influence on the evapo- 

 ration of the liquids ; that is to fay, the refpective quantities 

 of ether, alcohol, carburated fulphur, and very probably wa- 

 ter, evaporate equally in equal volumes of oxygen gas, hy- 

 drogen, azote, carbonic acid, and atmofpheric air, when the 

 temperature, preflure, and other circumf lances are fimilar. 



2d, Charcoal of whatever kind it may be gives no water 

 in burning, and requires the fame quantity or oxygen; it 

 therefore contains no hydrogen, and if there be oxygen it 

 always contains of it the fame, fince the carbonic acid pro- 

 duced is always the fame. 



3d, Sulphur and charcoal can combine at a high tempera- 

 ture. The refult is, ift, a tranfparent and highly volatile li- 

 quid ; 2d, a cryftallizable folid, and, perhaps, a gas perma- 

 nent at the ufual ftate of the atmofphere : in thefe combina- 

 tions no trace of hydrogen can be obferved. 



4th, The gafeous oxide of carbon, obtained by dried char- 

 coal and carbonic acid, or other analogous means, does not 

 contain hydrogen. It is a Ample combination inflammable 

 per fe. 



The Journal de Vhyfique et de Chimie, publifhed by C. Van 

 Mons for the month of Pluviofe lalt, contains a memoir, by 

 the Dutch chemifts, on the fuppoled gafeous oxide of carbon. 



It contains experiments which to us do not feem conclu- 

 five. Thefe chemifts did not even obferve the prefence of 

 oxygen in that gas. Had they dofed the quantities on which 

 they operated, they would have feen that the carbonic acid 

 in palling on the charcoal almoft entirely difappears, and 

 fhows itfelf again under an inflammable form. It formed 

 part then of this new gas, which then became mere carbo- 

 nated hydrogen : it is very probable that what they obtained 

 was united with hydrogen only, becaufe the charcoal had 

 not been fufficiently heated and well protected from the action 

 of humidity. 



Of this we have a proof in the experiment in which thefe 

 chemifts, by making azote pafs upon the charcoal inftead of 

 carbonic acid, rendered it inflammable. We long ago made 

 this experiment with charcoal well burnt, and the azote ac- 

 quired no inflammability. 



* For our part, we think the fubrft extremely interefting. — Edit. 



Vol. XIII. No. 50. M The 



