on oxysulphurelled Muriatic Acid. 369 



peutini^ the same experiment several times before attaining the 

 dcbired exactness. When the apparatus had attained the tem- 

 perature of 35" of Wedgwood, we heated the acid in the retort, 

 making it volatile, and keeping the furnace at a uniform tempe- 

 rature. A \'ery great quantity of gas was evolved, which tra- 

 versing the pure water in the connected vessels, the lime water 

 in the globular glass, and afterwards a column of the same within 

 a cylinder in order to wash it well, it was finally collected in the 

 bell-glass. The experiment finished, we found the contents in 

 examining £very part of the apparatus and in analysing the pro- 

 ducts. 



There was no residue in the retort which contained the oxy- 

 sulphuretted muriatic acid, axcept a few drops of it, which were 

 owing to a portion of vapour that had not passed into the ap- 

 paratus, and which condensing by the cold had resumed the fluid 

 state. These weighed five parts: Hence of 315 parts, only 310 

 passed in vapour over the red-hot carbon. In the space of the 

 anterior tube with carbon there was a little sulphur regenerated 

 and attached to its sides of a heavy red colour, and pasty-hke 

 wax, not acid by itself, and in that state which Berthoilet called 

 oxidated sulphur ; in the posterior part of the tube with carbon 

 there was also sulphur, but in a very small quantity and of a 

 natural colour. This sulphur, besides the former, weighed 1 6 

 parts : Hence only 84 parts experienced the joint action of the 

 heat and carbon, from which also should be deducted the pro- 

 portional quantity of sulphur contained in the five parts of oxy- 

 siilphuretted Tiuriatic acid remaining in the retort. This sul- 

 phur, however, found in the posterior part of the tube with the 

 carbon we considered as left by the sulphuretted hydrogen gas 

 (evolved as we might say) by some peculiar decomposition. In 

 tiie bends of the tubes which contained water, we found a large 

 drop of a fluid which evinced many characters of hvdrogenat'^il 

 sulphur*, called by Lampadius alcohol of sulphur. Its volatility 



• The following is the experiment alluded to. He totik 315 parts of sul- 



?!.<. retted munutic acid with nitric acid prepared by synthesis, and with 

 60 parts of this acid converted into sulphuric acid all the sulphur con- 

 tained in that substance, which was 100 parts : therefore 100 parts of sul- 

 phur to be eonverttd into sulphuric acid require 133 parts oxyg^en; of which 

 only 97 parts were furnished by the 160 of nitric acid. Now the 36 part3 

 deficient are nearly found by the ancient theory, w'lich considers 315 parts 

 of sulphuretted muriatic acid as consisting of 100 sulphur, 181 muriatic 

 acid, and '.\^ o-xygcn : Hence he infers that chlorine contains oxygen. 



The author follows the opinion of those chemists who believe that al- 

 cohol of sulphur is composed of sulphur and hydrogen : but Clement and 

 Dcsormcs with others maintain that it couMSts of carbon and sulphur. — 

 Note of the Pavia Editors. 



Vol. 5 1 . No. 24 1 . Jlfaij ISIS. A a appeared 



