^^ ACTiaN OF SULPHUR O^ CHARCOAL* 



placed in a reverberatory furnace, so that one end projectecl 

 a little more than four inches beyond the wali of the fur- 

 nace; and the other end, which sloped gently upward, about 

 eighteen inches. The part within the furnace was coated 

 with a lute capable of sustaining a very strong heat. To 

 the lower end was fitted an adopter, terminating in a small 

 tubulated receiver, from which a curved tube passed into 

 water contained in a two-necked bottle. Another tube 

 with two bendings conveyed the gas from this bottle into a 

 pneumatic apparatus. 

 Charcoal in- Charcoal being included In that paft of the tube that was 



cludea^m the juted, and sulphur introduced into the empty part, its up- 

 phur above it, per end was hermetically sealed; the tube was gradually 

 ''"^ J^^* ^1'' heated to incandescence; and th^^ sulphur as it melted flow- 



_, ,' ed down into the charcoal. When these came into contact. 



Products. . 



bubbles of gas were extricated, that succeeded each other 



rapidly, and were accompanied with white vapours, which, 

 condensing in the adopter, passed into the receiver, and sunk 

 to the bottom of the water in the form of a white or some- 

 times yellowish oil. 



^ , , , Mr. Berthollet however observes, that the results of this 



These liable to . .. i ^ • , . ^ 



vary. Operation vary accordmg to a number ot circumstances,whicn 



he has carefully described ; and the chemist not having it 

 always in his power to render these circumstances perfectly 

 similar, different products are frequently obtained. 



If for instance the extrication gf gas and condensation of 

 that atfect Hquid slacken, the sulphur must be heated, that more rtiay 

 them. pass down ; and if this do not accelerate the operation, the 



temperature of the charcoal must be increased. When th6 

 operator is desirous of producing much of the liquid, it is 

 necessary to i-aise the temperature of the charcoal a little 

 above a cherry red, and to allow only a slight excess of sul- 

 phur to pass down. Tod little df the sulphur prodiicea 

 only gasses, and a few drops of a liquid lighter than water^ 

 which in the course of the process resumes the state of gas. 

 On the contrary, if the sulphur be too abundant, nothing 

 is formed but gasses, and solid hidroguretted sulphur, which 

 was mistaken for carburetted sulphur by Clement and De- 



sornies. It is always iKjvantaeecus, to keep the vessels, in 

 The receivers " '^ * , , , 



which 



