420 Progress of Foreign Science. 
tin, and gold, dissolve in them, as well as those of tungsten, mo- 
lybdenum, and antimony. Acids separate the sulphurets un- 
changed. M. Berzelius regards kermes mineral as a tri-sul- 
phuret of antimony, prepared in the humid way. The golden 
sulphuret contains more sulphur. The true proportions for pre- 
paring the former compound, he conceives to be 1 part of car- 
bonate of potash, with 2% of sulphuret of antimony. The 
addition of a little sulphur employed by some persons, contri- 
butes merely to augment the product of the sudphur auratum, 
and to lessen that of the kermes. He had formerly found that 
sulphuret of carbon is absorbed by incandescent lime and barytes, 
with the phenomena of ignition, and he believed that there was 
formed a carbo-sulphuret of lime. He thinks it now clear that 
it is a mixture of 1 atom of carbonate of lime, with two atoms 
of sulphuret of calcium. 
M. Berzelius treats, briefly, in his 6th section, of the combi- 
nation of selenium and tellurium with potash, for which, being 
an shee of less general interest, we must refer to the memoir 
itself *. 
On a new Compound of Iodine, Hydrogen, and Carbon. By 
M. Serullas +t. 
To prepare this compound, we dissolve to saturation, iodine 
in alcohol of at least 39°. This solution being introduced into 
a large test tube, we throw into it potassium in portions. After 
the disappearance of each fragment, we must agitate; and 
when the discoloration is almost complete, we must cease to 
add potassium, because it might act on the new compound, as 
soon as it could find no more iodine. On diluting the liquid 
with water, it becomes instantly turbid, and thickish ; abundant 
yellowish flocks come to the surface, others fall down. This 
yellow matter is the hydriodide of carbon. After having sepa- 
rated it by the filter, it must be washed in cold water; and if 
we wish to have it crystallized, we re-dissolve it in alcohol, and 
let the solution evaporate spontaneously in wide vessels. But 
during this operation, the liquid becomes strongly coloured ; 
and a certain quantity of the hydriodide is decomposed. The 
formation of this compound is not accompanied with any dis- 
engagement of gas, and the potassium seldom takes fire at the 
surface of the alcohol. Iodide of potassium is also formed at 
the same time, which is separated from the hydriodide of car- 
bon, by means of the water. 
This new compound presents itself in small pearly scales, 
(spangles,) of a sulphur-yellow. It is friable and soft to the 
touch; rubbed between the fingers, it diffuses an aromatic 
odour; it has no decided taste in the solid state, but dissolved 
in alcohol, it has one manifestly saccharine. A very slight ele- 
* Annales de Chim. et de Phys., xx., 245. + Ibid, page 163. 
