ACTION OF SULPHUR ON CHARCOAL. 47 



h€ very abundant, the compound takes the solid form : if which alter 



. ,.11 ^ • 1 iu J.J. ^.• I"*, the characters 



the proportion ot hidrogen be increased, the attraction ot its ofthecom- 



particles is diminished, and it resolves itself into a liquid ; if pound. 

 a still greater quantity of hidrogen be present, the compound 

 expands, and the result is a gas. 



Mr. Berthollet has made a very interesting experiment, The liquid 

 which greatly confirms this. The liquid in question, dis- ^'^^^'"^^^"^'^^ 

 tilled with water at a temperature of 3G° [113° F.] afforded heat gave a 

 him a gas, that had the smell of sulphuretted hidrogen, burn- S^*» 

 ed with a blue flame, detonated briskly with oxigen when 

 fired, and combined readily with water, wliich it turned 

 milky, communicating to it the properties of sulphurous 

 water. After this gas a transparent liquor came over, swim- a light liquid, 

 ming on water, and wliich, as it evaporated on the contact of 

 air, precipitated to the bottom, or disappeared entirely, leav- 

 ing only some slight traces of sulphur on the water. At 45° 

 [133^] the extrication of gas Ceased, and a liquid heavier than aheavy liquid^ 

 water succeeded. The colour and consistency of this liquid 

 increased, as the distillation proceeded. 



On stopping the process when the temperature had been and a solid re- 

 kept some time at 45° [133°], what remains in the retort '"^' 

 becomes solid by cooling, and prismatic crystals are distiar* 

 guished in the mass. ' If a su<1icient quantity of sulphur be 

 not melted down on the charcoal, liquids of different den*? When the sul 

 sities are likewise obtained: the heaviest condense in the J^-^JJI^ J- ^^^j^^f 

 receiver ; the lighter do not condense, till they reach the different den- 

 bottle, where they rise to the surface of the water; and ^'^^^^ °^^^'"^* 

 lastly others, carried off by the gasses, reach the pneumatic 

 apparatus. 



It is evident, that the efficient cause of these different mo- These modifi- 

 difications, depending on the respective qualities of the ^^'^'.^^°^''"^^- 

 elements that combine, is the difference of temperature, temperature, 

 which disengages first the most expansible bodies. This is 

 not peculiar to the compound of sulphur and hidrogen ; and 

 the effect is the move obvious, the greater tne ditlerence in 

 the expansive force of the substances. 



The sulphur that flows into the adopter during the ope- The sulphur 

 ration contains a certain quantity of hidrogen, wiiich gives ^j^^^ flows by 

 it a laminated texture, an inferior density, and in particular contains hi- 

 a very decided smell of sulphuretted hidrogen, a small quan- ^^'^^sen, 



tity 



