252 Mr. E. A. Parnell on Sulphocyanogen. 



of chloride of potassium, and two of oxygen. But what be- 

 comes of this oxygen ? I have observed, that however slowly 

 the chlorine be passed through the solution of sulphocyanide 

 of potassium, an oxidizing action on the sulphocyanogen al- 

 ready formed takes place, even at the commencement of the 

 operation ; sulphuric and cyanic acids being produced. It 

 does not appear how this action can be satisfactorily ex- 

 plained on the old view (a simple removal of potassium by 

 chlorine), for it involves the decomposition of water by chlo- 

 rine in a strong solution of sulphocyanide of potassium, or in 

 fact, that water is more readily decomposed by chlorine than 

 sulphocyanide of potassium. But on the view given above, 

 an oxidizing action on sulphocyanogen already formed is 

 easily explained ; it is even essential, since no evolution of 

 oxygen gas is to be noticed. 



The production of this substance by nitric acid can be ex- 

 plained in a similar manner. Six equivalents of water, sul- 

 phocyanide of potassium, and nitric acid, are equal to six of 

 nitrate of potash and six of hydro-sulphocyanic acid, or 

 S 12 C 12 N 6 H 6 , which with four equivalents of oxygen from 

 the decomposition of another portion of nitric acid, become 

 S I2 C 12 N 6 H 3 O, and 3 H O. 



Four equivalents of oxygen of the atmosphere acting on 

 six of hydro-sulphocyanic acid, produce the same effect. 



With regard to the arrangement of the elements in this 

 substance, it is obvious that many formulae might with equal 

 probability be selected. All that can be reasonably assumed 

 on this subject is, that the carbon and nitrogen exist as cyano- 

 gen : it is also probable that the cyanogen and sulphur are 

 more intimately connected with each other than either of 

 them is with the oxygen or hydrogen ; in which case this sub- 

 stance will be either a hydrate or an oxide of a hydruret of 

 a sulphuret of cyanogen : but it appears probable that in 

 all compounds which contain hydrogen united to a radical 

 so as to form a hydruret, the hydrogen should be removed 

 by chlorine, which in this instance is not the case. On 

 another view the hydrogen (either wholly or in part) might 

 be supposed to exist as an electro-positive or " zincous " ele- 

 ment, out we do not find that it is displaced by metals, which 

 certainly ought to be the case if such is the true constitution. 

 But instead of adopting views of its constitution on insuffi- 

 cient data, it will be better in the present state of our know- 

 ledge of this substance to be satisfied with its empirical 

 formula alone. The name of the substance will obviously 

 require change, but I shall leave this to him to whom we are 

 indebted for its discovery ; and although I have been led to 



