552 Ifitelltgence atid Miscellaneous Articles, 



sionally from the fire to remove the crystals formed, and is to be 

 again heated to procure more of them. This compound may be 

 obtained directly by making a mixture of protochloride of mercury 

 and chloride of sulphur in sufficient quantities to form a thin paste. 

 After twenty-four hours' digestion in a close vessel, it is to be gently 

 heated ; the excess of chloride of sulphur is dissipated ; the matter 

 fuses, becomes red, and sublimes ; this compound may also be formed 

 by the action of sulphuret of arsenic upon bichloride of mercury. 



Chlorosulphuret of mercury is of a yelloAvish white colour ; the 

 crystals are exactly similar in form to those of bichloride of mer- 

 cuiy; when exposed to the action of heat, they fuse into a brown 

 liquid, capable of boiling and volatilization without undergoing any 

 change. This compound is immediately decomposed by water, 

 which converts it into bichloride of mercury, and sulphur, which 

 precipitates in the state of a granular powder. This ready decom- 

 position effected by water, renders the analysis very easy ; for it is 

 sufficient to take a known weight of it, to boil it for some time in 

 water, and to determine the quantity of sulphur deposited, which 

 being subtracted from the weight employed, the difference is bichlo- 

 ride of mercury. Having, however, found this method not to be 

 quite free from objection, the relative proportions of the elements 

 were determined by direct means. The mercury was reduced to the 

 metallic state, the sulphur was obtained uncombined, or as sulphate 

 of barytes, and the chlorine in combination with silver. 



A known weight of the compound was passed in vapour over iron 

 filings heated to redness. The mercury was condensed at the end 

 of the tube, and 100 parts yielded 69 of it ; in another experiment, 

 in which the mercury was converted into sulphuret, the same result 

 was obtained. 



In order to determine the sulphur, 100 parts were heated to red- 

 ness with soda and nitre. The product of the operation dissolved 

 in water ; the liquor supersaturated with nitric acid, and precipitated 

 by nitrate of barytes, gave 41 of sulphate of barytes = 5'65 of sul- 

 phur: by boiling 100 parts in water, so as to efiect complete decom- 

 position, 5*70 parts of sulphur were obtained ; agreeing very nearly 

 with the above experiment. 



In order to determine the chlorine, 100 parts of the substance 

 were dissolved in water ; the filtered liquid was treated with sul- 

 phuretted hydrogen to precipitate the mercury, and then the excess 

 of this gas being expelled by heat, the chlorine was precipitated by 

 nitrate of silver ; the chlorine indicated by this amounted to 24*67. 



This salt therefore consists of 



Mercury 69 



Chlorine 24-67 



Sulphur 5-65 99*32 



or very nearly 



One equivalent of mercury. . . . 202 or 69*67 



Two „ chlorine 72 24*82 



One „ sulphur .... 16 5*51 



290 100* 



