344 M, Berzelius on the {Nov. 
phur fused; the combination then began to take place; the 
compound blackened, fused, and swelled. It was kept at this 
temperature until the fusion was complete ; at this period, the 
lamp was withdrawn. After cooling, the mixture was found 
divided into two distinct layers; the upper was yellow, and 
consisted of sulphur; the lower was hepar, but which had not 
the bright red colour already mentioned. A portion of this 
hepar was dissolved in boiling water, precipitated by muriatic 
acid, boiled to expel the sulphuretted hydrogen gas, filtered, and 
evaporated to dryness. There remained upon the filter 0-734 
gramme of sulphur, and the salt weighed 1-1 gramme. Having 
observed that when hepar is prepared in considerable quantity, 
the sulphate of potash is not found equally dispersed, I redis- 
solved the salt obtained in water, and precipitated it by muriate 
of barytes: 0°321 gramme of sulphate of barytes was obtained, 
which is equivalent to 0°2415 gramme of sulphate of potash. 
There remains then, for the muriate of potash, 0°8585, contain- 
ing 0°45 of potassium, which was combined with 0°734 gr. of 
sulphur: then 
45: 73:4 :: JOO : 163-11 
But 164-24 constitute 8 atoms, and by adding the2 atoms which 
escaped in the state of sulphuretted hydrogen, we have 10 atoms 
of sulphur for one atom of potassium. I observed afterwards 
that the compound which had a brighter-red colour, appears only 
when sulphur condenses during the cvoling upon the hepar before 
it is quite hardened. As it does not form when the hepar fused 
under or with sulphur, and as the water does not combine with 
its excess of sulphur, it appears to be a mixture of hepar and 
sulphur, the brighter colour of which is derived from the latter 
substance, but which does not form a real and determinate com- 
pound. 
I have already observed that when the sulphate of potash is 
decomposed at a high temperature by sulphuretted hydrogen 
gas, a bright hepar is obtained, which is perfectly transparent, 
and of an orange colour, and appears to be A.S7; and that when 
the same salt is decomposed by sulphuret of carbon, K S° is 
formed: this is not transparent, and its colour is not so fine as 
the former. In these operations, the same proportion of sulphur 
in excess usually occurs. Carbonate of potash weighing 
0:7815 gramme was fused with 1:5 gramme of sulphur, in sul- 
phuretted hydrogen gas. The excess of sulphur was expelled, 
and sulpnuretted hydrogen gas was passed over the fused mix- 
ture as long as water was formed. This fluid was always accom- 
panied by sulphur, which was deposited as long as water was 
produced. The operation being finished, the mixture weighed 
1-18 gramme. It contained 0°442 gr. of potassium, which was 
consequently combined with 0°738 er. of sulphur: but 
44-2 ; 73°8 ;; 100 ; 166-9 
