On a Liquid Sulphnr. ) 33 



8. Water dissolves only a very small quantity of it, and it 

 then assumes all the properties of" sulphurated water. 



I mention these properties only until I ean make further 

 researches: thev arc sufficient to enable one to distinguish 

 the substance; the constituent parts cannot be exactly 

 determined, but by repeating and varying the cxperimrnts. 



Sulphur more than the half of its \\eight, as apptars 

 from properties 4 and 8, and hydrogen, are no doubt the 

 principal elements of alcohol of sulphur. If I thought that 

 no carbon were to be sought for in this substance, 1 should 

 have given it the name of hvdrogenated sulphur : until its 

 nature be mere precisely deternnned, that of alcohol of 



Iphur is applicable to it on account of its volatility. 

 ^" hope that this substance will be found hereafter a power- 

 ful remedy in cases in which ether is employed. 

 Fruybuig, Jai). z8, 1S04. 



P. S. Should this substance be found to be the same as 

 that of Clement and Dcsormes, I nmst claim the priority 

 of my discovery, which was made in 1796. But this is of 

 little importance, except that a fact when observed by seve-^ 

 ral persons who have not connnunicatcd to each other their 

 observations may be considered as the more authentic. 



Note — Since writing the above, I have read the experi- 

 ments of Clement and Desormes with great attention, in 

 Gilbert's Annals, and am isurprised at the resemblance which 

 exists between the two products. I^ however, find the fol- 

 lowing diflerences : 



Clement and Desormes' 

 Ca rhu ni t cd Sii Ip h ii r . 



1. Burns, and leaves a residuum of 

 carbon. 



2. Deposits carbon in combining 

 with fat oils. 



3. With spirit of wine it is converted 

 into a soft mass, and a small por- 

 tion is dissolved. 



4. It is now obtained from sulphura- 

 ted iron. 



I am engaged In experiments to answer the following 

 queries : 



Is my product hydroe-enatcd sulphur ? or sulphurated 

 carbon? or carbon, suTphur and h\drog-j:i? or perhaps 

 tjie base of sulphur? 



Feb. 2, i!'04.. 



I 3 XXII. Ex- 



Alcohol of Sulphur. 



1 . Bur.is, and kaves 

 no resiuunm. 



2. Dissolves entirely 

 in fat oils. 



3. Dissolves entirely 

 in spirit of wine. 



4. See ihe preceding 

 experiments. 



