of the Fixed Oils in contact with Sulphur, 



169 



of a peculiar nauseous smelling oil. The sparing solubility 

 of this compound in alcohol renders its preparation in sufficient 

 quantity for analysis an extremely tedious process, and I have 

 sought in vain for a more abundant solvent. The only sub- 

 stance which I have found capable of taking it up in larger 

 quantity is coal-tar naphtha; but its employment is inadmissible, 

 as the best which can be procured is an extremely impure 

 substance, and the crystals of the compound deposited from 

 it always acquire a rose or violet tint from some of its impu- 

 rities. Oil of turpentine likewise dissolves it, but not more 

 abundantly than alcohol. 



By many successive solutions in alcohol, I obtained enough 

 of this substance for an analysis, of which the following are 

 the results : — 



r 12*302 grains, dried in vacuo, gave 

 < 6'592 ... of carbonic acid, and 

 L 3-018 ... ofwater. 



8*061 grains deflagrated with a mixture of nitre and car- 

 bonate of soda, gave 7*297 grains of sulphate of baryta = 

 1-0067 = 12*48 per cent, of sulphur. 



The mercury and chlorine were determined together by 

 mixing the substance with quicklime, and introducing the 

 mixture into a combustion-tube. The end was then drawn 

 out into an elongated bulb, into which the mercury sublimed, 

 and which was afterwards cut off, dried in the water-bath, 

 and weighed, both with and without the mercury; the chlo- 

 rine was determined in the usual way from the residue in the 

 tube. 



9*958 grains gave 5'976 mercury =60*01 per cent., and 

 4'*310 grains chloride of silver =10-67 per cent, of chlorine. 



5*797 grains gave 2*409 of chloride of silver = 10*25 per 

 cent, of chlorine. 



These results correspond closely with the formula C^q Hjg 

 S,^ Hg4 CI2, as is shown by the following comparisons : — 



100*49 



100*00 



8294*7 



It is sufficiently obvious that the formula O^q Hig S5 Hg4 Clg 



