Knovoledge of Conjugate Compounds. 1 75 



The potash salt of the hyposulphate of chlor-elayle is very 

 much like the salt of hyposulphate of cliloro-formyle ; it cry- 

 stallizes out of hot alcohol in small needles, and differs, as 

 before stated, principally by its behaviour at a red heat. It 

 is precipitated by diluted sulphuric acid and chloride of cal- 

 cium, which remains of a dark black by the separation of car- 

 bon ; in fine, the hyposulphate of chlor-elayle is quite like the 

 hyposulphate of chloro-formyle. If a platinum anode be used 

 in the above decomposition of the potash-hyposulphate of 

 chloride of carbon, then the free oxygen acts on the com- 

 pound and oxidizes it. There goes off at the anode a mixture 

 of chlorine, oxygen and carbonic acid, and after the decom- 

 position is finished there is contained in the fluid only hypo- 

 chlorate of potash and bisulphate of potash. Under the same 

 conditions the solution of chloride of potassium changes into 

 hypochlorite of potash, and ultimately into chlorate of pot- 

 ash ; hypochlorite of potash is only formed in the presence of 

 free acid. Iodide of potassium likewise becomes iodate of 

 potash ; I could not produce a^uoraie of potash from the de- 

 composition of fluoride of potassium. 



Hyposulphate of methyle = HO + Cg Hg, S^ O5. This 

 compound concludes the series of conjugate hyposulphites. 

 It contains as conjoined a carbo-hydrogen corresponding to 

 the bichloride of carbon, which possesses the same composi- 

 tion as the radical of methyle. It may be produced in the same 

 manner as the above acid, by means of the galvanic current, 

 from hyposulphate of chloride of carbon and potash when the 

 solution contains free alkali. The decomposition takes place 

 as represented by the following formula : — 



KO + C, CI3, S, Oj fi^ + ^2 "3_ 

 6HO [go ~ 



The uncombined hyposulphate of methyle exhibits also the 

 greatest resemblance to the hyposulphate of chloro-formyle> 

 and is produced like it from the alcoholic solution of the pot- 

 tash salt by precipitating with sulphuric acid. The concen- 

 trated acid crystallizes in vacuo over sulphuric acid in deli- 

 cate, easily soluble laminae, which may be heatetl to 130° C. 

 without decomposition. It cannot be oxidized by nitric or by 

 chromic acid, and forms only insoluble crystalline salts. 



The potash salt, KO + Cg Hg, S^ O5, at 100° C. is dissolved 

 with difficulty in cold absolute alcohol; and the hot saturated 

 solution crystallizes during the cooling in soft, silky fibres, 

 which form so close a texture, that the mother-water appears 

 gelatinous. On being heated a liquor separates, which has a 

 neutral reaction, and there is also obtained a fetid, volatile 



