439 M, Balard on a peculiar Substance [Dec. 



muret of sulphur, but at a boiling heat it produces a slight deto- 

 nation, and there are formed hydrobromic and sulphuric acids 

 and sulphuretted hydrogen ; whereas chloride of sulphur, under 

 bimilar circumstances, would have yielded muriatic, sulphurous 

 and sulphuric acids, without detonation. 



Bromuret of sulphur is decomposed by chlorine with th^ 

 evolution of brome and the production of chloride of sulphur. 



liydrocarhuret of Brome, 



I have observed no appearance either of decomposition or 

 combination by exposing carbon to various temperatures in 

 contact with brome ; but I easily united it with bicarburetted 

 hydrogen. If a drop of brome be poured into a flask of this gas, 

 it is instantly converted into a substance of an oily appearance, 

 and heavier than water, and colourless ; and instead of the pene- 

 trating smell of brome, it has an ethereal smell, which is sweeter 

 than that of the hydrocarburet of chlorine. 



The hydrocarburet of brome is readily volatized ; it is decom- 

 posed by passing through a red-hot tube. I obtained in this 

 experiment a deposit of carbon, and hydrobromic acid gas. It 

 burns when presented to an inflamed body, and produces very 

 acid vapours, and a thick smoke formed by very finely-divided 

 carbon. I tried in v^in to obtain bromuret of carbon, by expos- 

 ing a mixture of this hydrocarburet of brome to the sun's rays. 



A compound, similar to that now described, may be obtained 

 by distilling the mother-water of the salt works rendered yellow 

 by chlorine. The brome obtained in this mode is often mixed 

 with hydrocarburet of brome, from which it is separated by 

 water. It sometimes even happens, that in performing this 

 operation, all the brome is converted into this triple compound. 

 This effect is probably produced by the action of the brome 

 upon a small quantity of organic matter which the salt-water 

 contains, and which imparts to the residuum of evaporation the 

 property of blackening when strongly heated. 



Action of Brome upon some Organic Bodies, 



The great affinity which brome possesses for hydrogen indi- 

 cates beforehand its mode of action upon organic bodies. 

 It decomposes the greater immber of them, always forming 

 hydrobromic acid, and sometimes separating carbon. 



Brome readily dissolves in acetic acid, upon which it acts 

 slowly ; it is very soluble in ether and alcohol. The coloured 

 solutions which are formed lose their tint after some days, and 

 hydrobromic acid is found in the liquor. The fat oils produce 

 effects of this nature very slowly, but they occur instantaneously 

 when brome is put into essential oils ; when a few drops of this 

 substance are mixed with oil of turpentine or aniseed, heat is 

 extricated, attended with the production of the vapour of hydro- 



