Oil the prohable Composition of Sulphur. 24 1 



rable step in the advancement of the science of chemistry. — 

 Among the simple combustibles is a substance, which I am 

 Indnced to think a compound ; I mean sulphur. It appears 

 to be compounded of the electric fluid and some atmospheri- 

 cal gas; and this I think may be safely concluded from the 

 following considerations : — 



1. Upon briskly exciting the electrical machine, a strong 

 sulphureous odour may be perceived. From whence caa 

 this arise,, except f.oni the real presence of sulphur, or some 

 incipient process of its formation ? 



2. In violent thunder-storms also, we frequently perceive 

 a sulphureous smell. This must undoubtedly either arise 

 from the electric fluid itself, or it must proceed from the 

 agency of that fluid on certain surrounding bodies. 



3. But sometimes upon such occasions real sulphur has 

 been produced. In America, while a company was in a 

 room together, a violent thunder-storm came on ; some of 

 the persons present were even lifted off their feet, and the 

 chamber windows were found covered viith real sulphur. 

 Surely no one will affirm that this sulj hur was originally in 

 a concrete state in the atmosphere. What could have raised 

 itfrom the earth ? for it does not sublime, as water evaporates, 

 at the usual temperature of the atmosphere. What could 

 have supported it iii the air ? or W hy should it never descend 

 but in a thunder-storm ? In short, it is reasonable to sup- 

 pose that it was formed in the air, and that the electric fluid 

 is one of its component parts. 



4. It is a well-known fact that the sulphurets of copper 

 and iron emit light in any gas, or even in a vacuum ; tiiis is 

 also a distinguishing properly of the electric iluid. And as 

 sulphur and this fluid are the only two substances in nature 

 which shine without the presence of oxygen, iiiusl we not 

 suppose that a strong analogy subsists betweeu them ; or 

 even that they arc the same sul)stance differently modified 

 and combined ? 



5. It is a circumstance w^orthy of attention, that Dr. 

 Priestley and other philosophers have strongly suspected tb« 

 electric fluid of possessing acid properties : in this respect 



Vol, 2y. No. 1J5. Dec. 1807. Q it 



