356 Mr. Porrett on Sulphuretted Chyazic Acid. (May, 
ARTICLE IV, 
On the Anthrazothion of Von Grotthuss, and on Sulphuretted 
Chyazic Acid. By R. Porrert, Jun. 
Tue new name which M. Grotthuss has given to this acid, he 
informs us, was in consequence of his discovering that the name 
of sulphuretted prussic acid, which in Germany had been sub- 
stituted as a synonyme for sulphuretted chyazic acid, was not 
applicable; as he had ascertained by his experiments that 
although it contained the same elements as prussic acid, yet 
they did not exist in it in the same proportions, and that neither 
prussic acid nor cyanogen as such exist in it. 1] trust, however, 
to be able to prove to chemists that this assertion is exceedingly 
erroneous ; and that consequently no such reason exists for 
adopting the new term recommended by M. Grotthuss. 
Besides new naming a substance already known, M. Grot- 
thuss has given the name of anthrazothion to a principle which 
is not known, but which he conceives to exist in some sulphur- 
etted chyazates, although he acknowledges that he has not been 
able to isolate it. It will be time enough to consider the pro- 
priety of this name when the principle itself has been obtained ; 
m the mean time it will be useful to look a little into the argu- 
ments and suppositions on which its existence is defended. 
In examining the suppositions which M. Grotthuss makes in 
order to admit the existence of anthrazothion, it appears that 
having concluded the sulphuretted chyazate of protoxide of 
copper to be a compound of anthrazothion with metallic copper, 
he explains its formation when sulphuretted chyazate of potash 
is poured into a mixed solution of a salt of peroxide of copper 
with a disoxidizing body, by supposing that the disoxygenating 
substance combines with 1th of the oxygen of the peroxide, and 
that the remaining #ths combine with and separate the hydrogen 
from the sulphuretted chyazic acid, converting it to anthrazo- 
thion, which unites to the reduced copper; he further supposes 
that the water formed from the oxygen of the copper with the 
hydrogen of the acid enters into the new compound, which he 
consequently terms an anthrazothionhydrate. 
A very simple experiment will suffice to show the fallacy of 
these suppositions. Let the sulphuretted chyazate of protoxide 
of copper be decomposed by a solution of potash, sulphuretted 
chyazate of potash will then be formed, and protoxide of copper 
will remain ; now if the decomposed salt had been a compound 
of anthrazothion and copper, the water present must have fur- 
nished hydrogen to the anthrazothion, and oxygen to the copper; 
but as, according to M. Grotthuss, anthrazothion combines with 
three atoms of hydrogen, it must detach an equal number of 
atoms of oxygen from the water ; two of these atoms of oxygen 
