408 Prof. Graham on Phosphuretted Hydrogen. 



it exerts on the gas itself. Diluted phosphorous, phosphoric 

 and arsenic acids react in the same manner upon phos- 

 phuretted hydrogen, but not so rapidly as the concentrated 

 acids do. 



6. The following liquids are capable of dissolving the quan- 

 tity of phosphuretted hydrogen gas placed against their names 

 at 65° Fahrenheit. 



Alcohol (sp. gr. 850) | volume. 



Sulphuric aether 2 volumes. 



Oil of turpentine 3% 



The essential oils and most of the hydrocarburets appear 

 to withdraw or to negative the peculiar principle in sponta- 

 neously inflammable phosphuretted hydrogen, in a rapid man- 

 ner. If a jar be moistened in the slightest degree with oil of 

 turpentine, coal-tar naphtha, or with the liquid distilled from 

 caoutchouc, and then be used as a receiver for containing 

 self-accendible gas over either water or mercury, the gas is 

 found to lose its spontaneous inflammability in a few minutes. 

 White fumes often appear in the gas at the same time ; but 

 these, I am satisfied, are due to the evolution of some gaseous 

 oxygen from the liquids, and only occur in the case of the 

 portion of gas which is first brought into contact with the li- 

 quid, and do not appear in the case of subsequent additions 

 of gas, although the liquid remains capable of destroying the 

 spontaneous accendibility of many portions of gas successively 

 exposed to it. It is not easy to decide whether these vapours 

 destroy irrecoverably the peculiar substance of spontaneous 

 inflammability, or merely negative the action of that principle 

 by their presence. I am inclined to think, however, that they 

 destroy that principle, for the action is not so rapid as the 

 diffusion of the vapour through the gas, the impregnation 

 appearing to be fully accomplished, and yet the loss of inflam- 

 mability not occurring sometimes for two or three minutes 

 afterwards ; particularly in the case of naphtha ; a portion of 

 that pure liquid in which potassium had been preserved be- 

 ing used in the experiment. A small addition of aether vapour 

 also destroys the inflammability of phosphuretted hydrogen, 

 although a distinct period must elapse before the change oc- 

 curs, such as a quarter of or half an hour. The action of alco- 

 hol vapour is much slower, generally requiring two or three 

 hours. Pure olefiant gas, containing no air, added in the 

 proportion of ten or twenty per cent., eventually destroys the 

 spontaneous inflammability, but requires a period of not less 

 than twenty or thirty hours. Olefiant gas has a negative in- 

 fluence of quite a different character, which has already been 

 alluded to, and which is in action the moment the gases are 



