Berzelius on the Sulphurets. 211 
was hot, it became on cooling, altogether transparent, and of a 
wine red colour. It was readily dissolved in water; the liquid 
was limpid and yellow. This solution was decomposed in a 
suitable apparatus, by muriatic acid, which precipitated from it 
a white powder without producing any disengagement of gas. 
The liquor was heated to ebullition, and a gas was developed 
which was collected in a solution of acetate of lead. After a 
moment of ebullition, there was passed through the liquid a 
stream of atmospheric air, to expel the last portions of sulphu- 
retted hydrogen. By this means, there was obtained in the 
solution of the lead, a sulphuret of this metal, which after being 
washed, dried, and heated in vacuo, to separate the whole 
moisture, weighed 1.407 grains, containing 0.189 of. sulphur ; 
but the quantity of sulphuretted hydrogen which would be dis- 
engaged, if in 1 grain of sulphate of potash the whole alkali 
were reduced into potassium, ought to contain 0.184 grains of 
sulphur. This difference can proceed only from some error of 
observation, The sulphur precipitated by the muriatic acid, 
having been washed and dried, weighed 0.488 grains, and being 
melted, lost nothing of its weight. After this precipitation, the 
liquid, mingled with muriate of barytes, afforded no sulphate 
of barytes. One grain of sulphate of potash contains 0.449 
grains of potassium. Now supposing that sulphuret of potas- 
sium is formed, the result of this experiment is, 
Potassium. Cult _ del we saan }ir Ieatebce 
Sulphur (precipitated) ; - . 48.8 
Sulphur (in the sulphuretted hydrogen) - 18.4 
11221 
that is to say, 0.011 grains more than the dissolved hepar 
weighed, which is derived undoubtedly from some error in the 
analysis. The hepar obtained was then a sulphuret of potas- 
sium; but it is difficult to determine what was its degree of 
sulphuration. The sulphuretted hydrogen having given up 
sulphur during the formation of the hepar, this circumstance 
would seem to indicate a combination made in determinate 
proportions, which did not permit it to retain the whole of the 
sulphur. In this case, it would be KS’, and 1 grain of sulphate 
of potash ought to weigh 1.093 after its decomposition by sul- 
phuretted hydrogen. if the gas had deposited all its sulphur, 
the combination would have been KS!°. It appears then, that 
in this operation, there escapes 3 atoms of sulphur with the 
gaseous bodies; but the different degrees of sulphuration of 
potassium will be considered further on. 
3. The same experiment was repeated, with this difference, 
that vapours of the sulphuret of carbon were passed over the 
sulphate of potash. One grain of this salt, afforded 1.22 grains 
of sulphuret of potassium, which decomposed i in the manner 
~— stated, produced : 
Vou. XIV. P 
