Notices of the Labours of Continental Chemists. 



formed good crystals, was Ba H 10 + 3 Ba S, H 6 . Another 



gave the formula 4 Ba H 10 + 3 Ba S, H 6 ; a third appeared to 



be Ba H 10 + Ba S, H 10 ; but it is possible that the last two 

 were only mixtures. 



Sulphuret of barium crystallizes with six atoms of water ; 

 water acts upon this salt in the same manner as upon the re- 

 duced sulphate of baryta. The sulphuret can hardly be ob- 

 tained free from hydrate of baryta. The solid hydrosulphuret 

 of barium was not analysed,as it cannot be obtained free from 

 supersulphurets, sulphuret and hydrate of baryta. 



It appears therefore that sulphuret of barium is decom- 

 posed by water and forms hydrosulphuric acid and baryta ; 

 the affinity which the H S has for the sulphuret causes the 

 separation of baryta, which crystallizes, sometimes as hydrate, 

 and at other times in combination with the sulphuret. 



Sulphuret of strontium, as formed from sulphate and char- 

 coal, is decomposed in the same manner as that of barium ; the 

 more difficult solubility of the hydrate of strontia causes it to 

 be separated from the other salts with great ease. H. Rose 

 could obtain neither sulphuret of strontium nor its com- 

 pound with strontia ; the sulphuret is decomposed by boiling 

 into the earth and the hydrosulphuret. Hydrate of strontia 

 contains 10 atoms of water, which agrees with the statements 

 of Phillips and Noad* ; the baryta compound also contains 10 

 atoms. 



Sulphuret of calcium was prepared by heating the sulphate 

 with charcoal; the mass when heated with water furnishes 

 solely hydrosulphuret and hydrate of lime; the principal cause 

 of this appears to lie in the insolubility of the hydrate. On 

 boiling the solution of the hydrosulphuret in a retort, hydro- 

 sulphuric acid is evolved and lime precipitated ; on further 

 evaporation the solution assumes a yellow colour; a white 

 powder, sulphite of lime, is often precipitated, formed from 

 the hyposulphite produced by the boiling. In the concen- 

 trated solution long' golden yellow crystals are formed, they 

 are very small in quantity although large in volume. The 

 crystals evolve no hydrosulphuric acid when treated with sul- 

 phate of manganese, but only with acids, sulphur being sepa- 

 rated ; treated with a large quantity of water they leave behind 

 a quantity of lime. When heated they give off water and 

 sulphur ; the residue treated with acid gives sulphur and hy- 

 drosulphuric acid. The formula of this compound is Ca S 5 

 + 5 Ca O + 20 aq. — (Pogg. Ann.^ vol. lv. pp. 415-437.) 

 • See Phil. Mag., Third Series, vol. xi. p. 301.— Ed. 



