obtained in the Decomposition of Oil. 189 



pale blue flame, and seems to be a product of too rapid action. 

 Great heat is produced during the action ; no sulphurous acid 

 is formed ; the acid is much blackened, has a pecuhar odour, 

 and upon dilution generally becomes turbid, but no gas is 

 evolved. A permanent compound of the acid with carbon 

 and hydrogen is produced, and enters as before mentioned 

 into combination with bases. 



A mixture of 2 volumes of this vapour with l^ volumes of 

 pure oxygen was made, and a portion detonated in an eudio- 

 meter tube. 8*8 volumes of the mixture diminished by the 

 spark to 5*7 volumes, and these by solution of potash to 1"4 

 volume, which were oxygen. Hence 7"4 volumes had been 

 consumed, consisting of 



Vapour of substance 1*1 



Oxygen 6*3 



Carbonic acid formed 4*3 



Oxygen in carbonic acid 4<*3 



Oxygen combining with hydrogen . 2*0 



Diminution by spark 3'1 



This is nearly as if 1 volume of the vapour or gas had re- 

 quired 6 volumes of oxygen, had consumed 4 of them in pro- 

 ducing 4 of cai'bonic acid gas, and had occupied the other 

 2 by 4 of hydrogen to form water. Upon which view, 4 vo- 

 lumes or proportionals of hydrogen = 4, are combined with 

 4 proportionals of carbon = 24, to form one volume of the 

 vapour, the specific gravity of which would therefore be 28. 

 Now this is but little removed from the actual specific gravity 

 obtained by the preceding experiments ; and knowing that this 

 vapour must contain small portions of other substances in so- 

 lution, there appears no reason to doubt that, if obtained pure, 

 it would be found thus constituted. 



As the proportions of the elements in this vapour appear to 

 be the same as in olefiant gas, it became interesting to ascer- 

 tain whether chlorine had the same action upon it as on the 

 latter body. Chlorine and the vapour were therefore mixed 

 in an exhausted retort : rapid combination took place, much 

 heat was evolved, and a liquor produced resembling hydro- 

 chloride of carbon, or the substance obtained by the same 

 process from olefiant gas. It was transparent, colourless, and 

 heavier than water. It had the same sweet taste, but ac- 

 companied by an after aromatic bitterness, very persistent. 

 Further, it was composed of nearly equal volumes of the va- 



Kour and chlorine : it could not therefore be the same as the 

 ydro-chloride of carbon from olefiant gas, since it contained 

 twice as much carbon and hydrogen. It was therefore treated 

 with excess of chlorine in sun-light: action slowly took place, 



more 



