on the Liquified Gases, and on their Conducting Power. 29 



Liquified cyanogen, kept in contact for two or three days with 

 flowers of sulphur, gradually changes the sulphur into a dark gray 

 substance, without dissolving it. At this period the tube being 

 broken, the whole of the liquified gas disappeared, leaving the 

 dark gray substance, which upon examination was found to con- 

 tain a quantity of cyanc^en in combination with it. Liquified cya- 

 nogen also acts slowly on phosphorus, and in the space of three or 

 four days dissolves a portion of it, probably forming the cyanuret 

 of phosphorus. > 



Chlorine, — Exp. I. A portion of the peroxide of manganese, and 

 strong muriatic acid, were introduced through the opening F, 

 which was immediately sealed, into the thick end of the tube AB, 

 which had a platina wire sealed into it, as seen in the figure. The 

 smaller end of the tube had then a platina wire also sealed into it. 

 Heat being applied, the gas passed over, and was condensed in the 

 smaller part of the tube, until the quantity was sufficient to im- 

 merse both extremities of the platina wires. 



The liquid chlorine being now made to form part of the circuit 

 of a galvanic battery of 250 pairs of plates, two inches square, there 

 was no shock received, neither did water nor acid suffer any decom- 

 position when placed in the circuit. Liquified chlorine may be 

 therefore considered a non-conductor of electricity of this intensity. 



While the liquified chlorine formed the circuit, not the slightest 

 action took place in it, nor were the platina wires which remained 

 immersed in it, in the least degree acted on. Chlorine, therefore, 

 as my friend Mr. Brown observed at the time, can scarcely be re- 

 garded as the solvent of gold and platina in the nitro-muriatic acid. 



Exp. II. In this experiment a tube was employed of nearly the 

 same form as that previously used, but having an apartment in the 

 centre. 



A portion of black oxide of manganese, and concentrated muria- 

 tic acid, were introduced into the thick end of the tube ; the centre 

 cavity was filled with fragments of recently prepared chloride of 

 calcium. Heat was then applied to the tube, and gas generated, 

 so as to fill the whole of it. A roll of litmus paper was next pass- 

 ed into the smaller end of the tube, which was then sealed. Heat 

 being again applied, the gas was generated, and having to pass 

 through the chloride of calcium, it was perfectly free from mois- 

 ture. The litmus paper suffered no change until a small portion 

 of the gas was liquified, and as the paper became immersed in 

 the liquified chlorine, its blue colour was completely destroyed, 

 leaving the paper perfectly white. 



The bleaching power of chlorine has been attributed to the de- 

 composition of water, the chlorine being supposed to combine with 

 the hydrogen of the water, forming muriatic acid, while the oxy- 

 gen acts the part of the discolouring agent ; but as the gas in this 

 instance had to pass through the dry chloride of calcium before it 



