Royal Society. 369 



()f sulphur and carbon only, a result which agrees perfectly 

 with that of the paper before us. 



The alcohol of sulphur, when rectified by distillation, is 

 , a perfectly transparent fluid, which is insoluble in wa'^^r, 

 and has great refractive powers and considerable specific 

 weight. .It is exceedingly volaiile, more so even than ether; 

 IS highly inflammable, is capable of dissolving phosphorus 

 and sul^)hur, and is itself soluble in alcohol and ether. It 

 combines with the new discovered detonating oily com- 

 pound without exploding, even if phosphorus or, oil be pre- 

 sent and heat applied. 



The authors ascertained the chemical nature of the alco- 

 hol of sulphur bv various methods. By exploding it, in a 

 state of vapour, with oxygen gas, sulphureous acid gas and 

 carbonic acid gas are formed, without any production of 

 water. From this, and various other experiments, the ab- 

 sence of hydrogen was proved, and the presence of carbon 

 ascertained. But the process by which the proportion of 

 sulphur and carbon in this compound was ascertained, con- 

 sisted in causing a known quantity of the alcohol of sul- 

 phur, in vapour, to pass through red hot oxide of iron. The 

 oily liquid was thus resolved into sulphuret of iron, sul- 

 phureous acid gas and carbonic acid gas ; and by a careful 

 examiiiation of these products, the authors were enabled to 

 conclude, that the alcohol of sulphur was composed of 

 about 85 parts of sulphur to 15 of carbon, which, in Mr. 

 Dalton's mode of expressing proportions, correspond to 

 two atoms of sulphur to one of carbon. 



May 20. — Earl Morton in the chair. A paper was read 

 <lescribing a newly-invented lamp, designed to be used in 

 coal-mines, and to prevent the dreadful explosions of car* 

 buretted hydrogen gas, which are still so common and so 

 destructive, notwithstanding the advantages of ventilation. 

 The description would not be intelligible without a draw- 

 ing ; but the principle was merely that of completely iso- 

 lating the lamp from the atmosphere, enveloping it in a 

 large globe, surrounding the base of the burner with water, 

 and conveying the atmosphere of the mine to it, by means 

 ol a pair of common bellows, to support combustion. A 

 lamp so situated could never be affected by any sudden cur- 

 r( nt of inflammable gas, and would answer every purpose 

 of affording light to the workmen. It appears that during 

 the last seven years above 100 miners have been killed in 

 the county of Durham only by explosions, leaving above 

 300 women ami children to be supported by the public. 



V0I..41. No. 181. i\/a7/ 1813. Aa The 



