116 Mr. Faraday on two new Compounds [Aug. 



It is soluble in alcohol and ether, and the solutions burn with 

 a greenish flame, evolving fumes of muriatic acid. 



It is soluble in the volatile and fixed oils. The volatile oils 

 containing it burn with the emission of fumes of muriatic acid. 

 When the solutions of it in the fixed oils are heated, they do 

 not blacken or evolve fumes of muriatic acid. It is, therefore, 

 probable, that when this happens with the solution of the per- 

 chloride in fixed oils, it is from its conversion by the heat into 

 protochloride and the liberation of chlorine. 



It is not soluble in alkaline solutions, nor do they act on it in 

 some days. Neither is it at all soluble in, or affected by, strong 

 nitric, muriatic, or sulphuric acids. 



Solutions of silver do not act on it. 



Oxygen decomposes it at high temperatures, forming carbonic 

 oxide, or acid, and liberating chlorine. 



Chlorine dissolves in it in considerable quantity, but has no 

 further action, or only a very slow one in common day light ; 

 on exposure to solar light, a different result takes place. 1 

 have only had two clays, and those in the middle of November, 

 on which 1 could expose the protochloride of carbon in atmo- 

 spheres of chlorine to solar light ; and hence the conversion of 

 the whole of the protochloride was not perfect ; but at the end 

 of those two days the retorts containing the substances were 

 lined with crystals, which, on examination under the micro- 

 scope, proved to be quadrangular plates, resembling those of the 

 perchloride of carbon. There were also some rhomboidal crys- 

 tals here and there. After the formation of these crystals, there 

 was considerable absorption in the retort ; hence chlorine had 

 combined ; and the gas which remained was chlorine unmixed 

 with any thing else, except a slight impurity. The solid body, 

 on examination, was found to be volatile, soluble in alcohol, pre- 

 cipitable by water, and had the smell and other properties of 

 perchloride of carbon. Hence, though heat in separating chlo- 

 rine from the perchloride of carbon produces its decomposition, 

 light occasions its reproduction. 



It dissolves iodine very readily, and forms a brilliant red solu- 

 tion, similar in colour to that made by putting iodine into 

 sulphuret of carbon, or chloric ether. It does not exert any 

 further action on iodine at common temperatures. 



An electric spark passed through a mixture of the vapour of 

 the chloride with hydrogen, does not cause any detonation, but 

 when a number are passed, the decomposition is gradually 

 effected, ami muriatic acid is formed. When hydrogen and the 

 vapour of the protochloride are passed through a red hot tube, 

 there is a complete decomposition effected, muriatic acid gas 

 being formed, and charcoal deposited. The mixed vapour and 

 gas burn with flame as they arrive in the hot part of the tube. 

 The vapour of the protochloride detonates readily by the electric 

 spark with a mixture of oxygen and hydrogen gases, and a 



