ANNALS 
OF 
PHILOSOPHY. 
JUNE, 1819. 
—————. 
ARTICLE I, 
Researches on anew Mineral Body found in the Sulphur extracted 
from Pyrites at Fahlun. By J. Berzelius.* 
1. Fabrication of the Sulphur at Fahlun. Phenomena exhi- 
bited when this Sulphur is employed for making Sulphuric Acid. 
PYRITES, which abound in different parts of the copper-mine, 
are employed at Fahlun for the preparation of sulphur. They are 
often mixed with galena, blende, and several other foreign 
bodies. They are placed on a layer of dry wood, in long hori- 
zontal furnaces, the upper part of which is covered with earth 
and with decomposed pyntes. The smoke passes from the 
furnace into horizontal chimneys, the first portion of which is 
constructed of brick, the last of wood. The wood is kindled 
below, and the heat causes the excess of sulphur to distil from 
the undermost stratum of pyrites. The sulphur in the state of 
vapour is carried off by the hot air, and afterwards deposited in 
the chimney in the form of flowers. When the wood is con- 
sumed, the protosulphuret of iron begins to burn, and to drive 
off the excess of sulphur from the stratum immediately above it. 
In this way the operation goes on till the pyrites are entirely 
burned. The powdery sulphur produced by this process con- 
tains a great deal of sulphuric acid. It is washed in water, 
fused and volatilized again in order to purify it. The fused 
auphns before it is redistilled is a greenish grey mass, with a 
lated fracture; and heterogeneous substances may be seen 
* Trauslated from the Ann, de Chim. et Phys. ix. 160. (October, 1818.) 
Vou, Sil, N° V1. 2C 
