242 Dr. Zeise on a new Class {Ocr. 
is colourless, and completely neutral. The salt is readily soluble 
in alcohol, but dissolves difficultly in sulphuric ether. Both 
solutions are also colourless and neutral. No gas is expelled by 
strong acids ; but when sulphuric or muriatic is added to a con- 
centrated aqueous solution of the salt, an oil-like liquid is sepa- 
rated, which has a rather yellow colour, and a peculiar strong 
smell. 
1. The solution produces with the soluble salts of lead a white 
precipitate. 
2. With the nitrate of barytes, muriate of barytes, muriate of 
lime, no precipitate at all. 
3. With soluble salts of copper, a fine yellow precipitate. 
4, With nitrate of deutoxide of mercury, sublimate and prus- 
siate of mercury, a white precipitate. 
5. With nitrate of deutoxide of tin, a yellowish precipitate. 
6. With sulphate of zinc, a white precipitate, a little mclining 
to green. 
7. With nitrate of silver, nitrate of protoxide of mercury, 
muriate of protoxide of tin, if the solutions are diluted, a yellow- 
ish, if concentrated, a brownish precipitate. 
All these precipitates, except those of No. 7, keep their 
colour unchanged under the liquid, and in open air. None of 
them produce gas when treated with strong acids, but some give 
the above-mentioned oil-like substance. The hydrocarbosul- 
phate of potash may be heated to 140° Fahrenheit without under- 
going any observable change. When heated in close glass vessels, 
it melts, effervesces, assumes a fine light-red colour, and gives 
out, 1. an oil-like liquid of a yellow colour, and a peculiar strong 
and very penetrating smell ; it does not show any acid proper- 
ties when tried with tests, and does not produce a black preci- 
pitate with salts of lead; 2. Carbonic acid; 3. Another gas, 
which is eifher a mixture of sulphuretted hydrogen and a peculiar 
gas, or this latter alone: it is remarkable for its strong smell of 
onion. The red substance remains unaltered when cooled, but 
when the temperature is increased to a red heat, it melts, effer- 
vesces, and becomes brownish-black, and after some time ceasing 
to effervesce, the substance melts quietly. On cooling, the sub- 
stance separates into two distinct portions ; the lower and larger 
mass is crystalline and greyish-black ; the upper is uncrystal- 
line and black. During this change, besides gas, a great quan- 
tity of an oil-like liquid is given out. If the black substance is 
heated again, it melts, produces no oil-like liquid, and but little 
gas, even if the temperature is raised to a strong red heat. 
Afterwards it has no crystalline appearance. 
The red mass above-mentioned dissolves easily in water with- 
out the least turbidness. In the beginning, the solution has a 
red colour, which, however, is soon changed into brown. In 
alcohol, it is difficultly dissolved; the solution is yellowish- 
brown. The red mass is alkaline, when tried by tests. It 
