Re-action of Sulphuric Acid on Camphor. 435 
obtained, 1. a volatile oil*, having the smell of camphor: 
2. a coaly residuum, which is a combination of sulphuric 
acid, and highly hydrogenated carbon: 3. an astringent 
matter, which is also a combination of sulphuric acid, but 
which seems to differ from the former in two respects, viz. 
that the matter combined with the acid is more hydto= 
genated, and that the acid is in greater proportion. 
The coaly residuum is not perceptibly soluble in water 
it appears, however, to impart to it an exceedingly small 
quantity of astringent matter. 
By distillation it affords’sulphuretted hydrogen, sulphu- 
rous acid, and:carbonic acid ; the residuum is a combination 
of carbon and sulphur. This last combination is. formed 
as often as sulphur meets with carbon strongly heated : 
thus, charcoal over which the vapour of sulphur has been 
- passed; the mixture of charcoal and sulphur, (proceeding 
from the analysis of gunpowder,) when heated in a crucible, 
are compositions of this sort. It is very probable some- 
thing of the same kind takes place in the decomposition of 
the sulphates by charcoal. 
Potass takes up but a very inconsiderable portion of sul- 
phuric acid from the coaly residuum: when these two sub- 
stances are boiled together, two compounds are formed, 
one soluble, with an excess of alkali, and the other insolu- 
ble, with an excess of the coaly residuum. Nitric acid 
dissolves it totally, and forms with it two substances; one 
very soluble in water, which precipitates gelatin, and which 
‘forms with barytes a compound soluble in nitric acid, al- 
though it contains sulphuric acid; the other compound 
partly soluble, which fuses by heat, and gives out nitrous 
acid; this appears to be more hydrogenated than the for- 
mer one. 
Although the coaly residuum possesses some properties 
similar to those of pit-coal, the: ahsence of sulphur and of 
sulphuric acid in this last, will not permit us to regard them 
as having a common origin. The analogous properties of 
these two substances appear to belong in general to all 
coaly substances which contain much hydrogen. ( 
The astringent matter is soluble in water. _ Its solution 
appears green by reflection, and red by refraction: it pre- 
Cipitates gelatin; it is acid, and by distillation it affords 
sulpburetted hydrogen and sulphuric acid. It forms with 
* Imuch regret not being able to examine the nature of this product. 
It would be interesting to know if it contains sulphuric acid and camphor, 
By distilling it with potass, | obtained an odorous crystallized sublimate, but 
* was in too small a quantity to enable me te determine exactly its nature. 
Eee barytes 
