66 Intelligeiice and Miscellaneous Articles. 



formed an amber- coloured substance, which crystallizes in rhombic 

 .tables possessing much lustre. These crystals are soon destroyed, 

 and are replaced by a yellowish liquid, which eventually becomes of 

 a ruby-red colour ; by continuing the action there are obtained 

 chloride of sulphur S CI", and perchloride of sulphuret of methyle 

 C* CIS s. 



Bromine also acts upon this body, forming products derived from 

 substitution. 



Very dilute nitric acid has no sensible action in the cold on bisul- 

 phuret of methyle ; but it is different when it is moderately dilute. In 

 this case the action is extremely vivid ; sulphuric acid is produced, 

 and also a peculiar acid, which forms with potash a salt that cry- 

 stallizes in long asbestiform needles, and with barytes a salt which 

 crystallizes in colourless tables and possessing much splendour. It 

 also forms with strontia, lime, and the oxide of lead salts which are 

 soluble and crystallizable. Sulphuric acid when concentrated com- 

 bines with it in the cold, and decomposes it when heated. 



When heated in a retort with a concentrated solution of potash, it 

 distils without appearing to undergo any alteration ; when submitted 

 to analysis it appeared to be composed of — 



C* 150-0, or in 100 25-53 



H6 37-5 6-38 



S2 400-0 .... 68-09 



587-5 10000 



The density of the vapour of this substance, taking the mean of 

 two experiments, was found to be 3-298 ; and the author observes 

 that, supposing the molecule of this compound to give two volumes 

 of vapour, the density would be 3*259. 



Tersulphuret of Methyle. — When bisulphuret of potassium is re- 

 placed by the persulphuret in forming the above compound, a con- 

 siderable quantity of bisulphuret of methyle is also obtained ; but 

 towards the end, and at the temperature of about 396° F., an amber- 

 coloured product distils, which contains more sulphur, and which 

 acts with chlorine and nitric acid in the same manner. 



The high boiling-point of this substance, and the slight alteration 

 which it undergoes by heat, prevented the author from ascertaining 

 the density of its vapour. Analysis showed that it was a tersul- 

 phuret of methyle. 



C^ 150-0, or in 100 19-05 



W 37-5 .. 4-76 



S3 600-0 .. 76-19 



787-5 100-00 



Sulphocyanuret of Methyle. — On distilling a mixture of equal parts 

 of a concentrated solution of sulphocyanuret of potassium and sul- 

 phomethylate of lime, there passes over with the vapour of water a 

 heavy yellowish liquid, which after being dried over chloride of cal- 

 cium, possesses a fixed boiling-point ; nine-tenths of the product 



■"*i^.f.: 



