170 Dr. T. Anderson on certain Products of Decomposition 



cannot be supposed to represent the rational formula of 

 this substance. On the contrary, the remarkable analogy 

 between its properties and those of the mercury compound of 

 sulphuret of allyle appear clearly to indicate a similarity in their 

 chemical constitution, — a similarity which, as we shall after- 

 wards see, is borne out by the properties of the platinum com- 

 pound. I consider this substance to contain an organic sul- 

 phuret analogous to sulphuret of allyle, the constitution of 

 which must be represented by the formula Cg Hg Sg, to which 

 I give the provisional name of sulphuret of odmyl (from oS/aij, 

 odow)^ and that the rational formula of the mercury com- 

 pound is — 



(Cg Hg S,+ Hg, CI,) + (Cg Hg S, + Hg, S). 



On contrasting this with the formula of the allyle compound, 

 which is — 



(Cfi H5 CI + Hg, CI,) + (Ce H5 S + Hg, S,), . 



two important points of difference are apparent, namely, that 

 in the new compound we have the sulphuret, and not the 

 chloride, of the base in union with corrosive sublimate, and 

 the presence of subsulphuret in place of sulphui-et of mercury 

 in the second member of the compound. It is even possible 

 to approximate more closely the formulae of the allyle and 

 odmyle compounds, by assuming the sulphuret of odmyle to be 

 represented by C4 H4 S; in which case the oiercury compound 

 becomes — 



{3(C4 H4 S) + Hg, S,} + (C4 H4 CH- Hg, CI). 



This formula is however incompatible with its reactions, as 

 it involves the presence of calomel in the compound. Treat- 

 ment with caustic potash however shows that this is not the 

 case, as it immediately becomes yellow, from the separation 

 of oxide of mercury, while the black suboxide would have 

 been formed had calomel been present. 



When a current of sulphuretted hydrogen is passed through 

 the mercury compound suspended in water, it becomes rapidly 

 black, a peculiar smell is observed, along with that of sulphu-' 

 retted hydrogen ; and by distillation an oil passes over, which 

 is obtained floating on the surface of the water. It is per- 

 fectly transparent and colourless. Its smell is peculiar, and 

 resembles the nauseous odour developed by crushing some 

 umbelliferous plants. When dissolved in alcohol, it gives 

 with corrosive sublimate a white precipitate, soluble in hot 

 alcohol, from which it is deposited in crystals precisely similar 

 to those from which it had been originally separated, and with 

 bichloride of platinum a yellow precipitate, slightly soluble in 



