Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles'. 3li7 



supported by some experiments, the authors thought proper to repeat 

 their experiments ; and remaining certain of the correctness of their 

 first results, thej^ decide to publish them. .</. Mi.iA. 



When ammoniacal gas is made to react on perchloride of Suljfjiiur, 

 these substances undergo a series of transformations, respecting 

 which the authors state that want of space prevents dilating : there 

 is eventually obtained a powder of a pure yellow colour, which M. 

 Soubeiran erroneously considered as a peculiar substance, and which 

 he described under the name of biammoniacal chloride of sulphur. ' 



From this powder, the authors state, that, by means of solvenfe'j 

 they were able to separate five substances ; when it is treated witH 

 sulphuret of carbon, it yields sulphur, and a product of a fine orange- 

 yellow colour. When it is repeatedly washed cold, with small 

 quantities of sulphuret of carbon, all the sulphur is dissolved ; and 

 on treating the residual mass, thus freed from sulphur, with boiling 

 sulphuret of carbon till it ceases to be coloured, all the orange matter 

 is removed, which the solution by evaporation deposits in the form 

 of crystals. It is evidently this substance, more or less impure, 

 which has been examined by M. Soubeiran under the name of sul- 

 phuret of nitrogen, for it possesses iJie greaternumber of the proper- 

 ties which he indicates. 



Sulphuret of nitrogen in a pure state has the form of transparent 

 rhombic prisms, the powder of which is of a very bright golden colour ; 

 but this powder must not be prepared without certain precautions, 

 for a slight blow of this powder on a hard substance is sufficient Jo 

 occasion strong explosion. Five centigrammes of sulphuret of Ni- 

 trogen, put into an agate mortar and struck with the pestle, occa-. 

 sioned a report as loud as thatof a,jXi,usl^et,-andt^^pestle andmort^ 

 were broken into many pieces. ., \. . , / ; , .: i-t 



When sulphuret of nitrogen is touched with an ignited body, it 

 melts without detonating. Heated in an oil-bath, in a tube closed at 

 one end, it is destroyed at about 157° C, yielding nitrogen and svIt; 

 phur, with traces of the substance undecomposed. , . -..w-nt 



Sulphuret of nitrogen when reduced to powder has a slight odour; 

 and it acquires by friction the property of adhering to glass and 

 paper in a high degree. Its action on the mucous membranes is 

 extremely irritating. Water moiotens it with difficulty, and does 

 not dissolve it; alcohol, asther, pyroxylic spjij-it^^jOil of turpentine. 

 dissolve it jp small, Cjuantity ; but sulphur^):^ pl^jppr^gji ^, t^^^^^t, 

 solvent. ■ , ' /" ' .^ , .-,,. .,,,, .... .r,,,i; 



Sulphuret of nitrogen is not entirely without action on sulphuret 

 of carbon ; it takes place, however, slowly, and requires a long period 

 for its completion, and the action is very remarkable. The authors 

 have observed the solutions of sulphuret of nitrogen in sulphuret of 

 carbon become completely colourless in some months ; and among the 

 products they found sulj)hur, sulphohydrocyauic acid, and a deposit, 

 of a golden yellow colour, wliich had the appearance of the substance 

 imperfectly known and called by chemists sulphocyanogen, or o.\y-. 

 sulphuret of cyanogen. 



'file analysis of this substance made by the authors does not lead 

 to any of the formula attributed to it ; but as we do not possess any 



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