418 On some Coml'matinns of 



Bolid, white, and crystalline in its appearance; easily vola- 

 tile, and capable of" formintr a fixed iniusible substance bv 

 uniting with ammonia. The other is liiiid, limpid as wa- 

 ter, and, as I have since found, of s]iecific gravity I "45; it 

 produces dense fumes bv actina upon the water of the at- 

 mosphere, and when exposed To the atmosphere gradually 

 disappears, leavinir no residuum. 



The composition of the white sublimate is very easily as- 

 certained bv synthetical experiments, such as I have de- 

 scrii)ed on a former occasion in the Transactions. By em- 

 ploying chlorine dried by muriate of lime, in e,reat excess, 

 and making the experiments in exhausted vessels, and ad- 

 mitting solution of chlorine to ascertain the quantity of 

 gas absorbed, I have ascertained that three grains of phos- 

 phorus unite with about <20 grains of chlorine to form the 

 bublimate. 



Tf the phosphorus be in great excess in the experiment 

 of its combustion in chlorine, some of the liquor is formed 

 •with the sublimate; but to obtain it in considerable quan- 

 tities, phosphorus should he passed in vapour through 

 heated powdered corrosive sublimate. A bent glass tubes 

 may be used for the process, and the liquor condensed ir^ 

 d cold vessel connected with the tube. 



I have not been able to determine its composition by 

 synthetical experiments ; but by pouring it tiradually intq 

 water, suffering the water to become coo! after each addi- 

 tion of the liquor, and then preci) itating the solution by 

 solutinn of nitrate of silver, I have ascertained the quantity 

 of chlorine and of phosphorus it contain.s, 13*6 grains, 

 treated in (his way, afforded 43 grains of horn silver. 



It i§ evident from ihis analysis, compared with the result 

 of the synthetical experiments on the sublimate, that, the 

 quantity of phosphorus being the same, the sublimate cou^ 

 tains double as much chlorine as the liquor. 



When phosphorus is heated in the liquor, a portion is. 

 dissolved, and it then when exposed to the atmosphert? 

 leaves a film of phosphorus, which when the liquor is 

 thrown on paper usually inflames: a substance of this kind 

 was first procured by MM. Gay Lussac and Thenard, by 

 distilling phosphorus and calomel together; and it may be 

 produced in the experiment with corrosive sublimate, if 

 sufficient heat be used to sublime the phosphorus, or if 

 there be not an excess of the corrosive sublimate. I have 

 made no experiments in order to ascertain the quantity of 

 phosphorus the liquor will dissolve. 

 When the white sublimate is mfAp to a9t upon water, it 



tlis&o]]|t9 



