1821.] of Chlorine and Carbon, S^c . 117 



complete decomposition is effected. It will not detonate with 

 the vapour of water. 



Sulphur and phosphorus both dissolve in it, but exert no 

 decomposing action at temperatures at, or below, the boiling- 

 point of the chloride. The hot solution of sulphur becomes a 

 solid crystalline mass by cooling. Phosphorus decomposes it 

 at a red heat. 



Its action on metals is very similar to that of the perchloride. 

 When passed over them at a red heat, it forms chlorides, and 

 liberates charcoal. 'Potassium does not act on it immediately 

 at common temperatures ; but, when heated in its vapour, burns 

 brilliantly, and deposits charcoal. 



When passed over heated metallic oxides, chlorides of the 

 metals are formed, and carbonic oxide, or carbonic acid, accord- 

 ing to the state of oxidation of the metal. When its vapour is 

 transmitted over heated lime, baryta, or strontia, the same bril- 

 liant combustion is produced as with the perchloride. 



While engaged in analyzing this chloride of carbon, for the 

 purpose of ascertaining the proportions of its elements, I endea- 

 voured, at first, to find how much chlorine was liberated from a 

 certain weight of perchloride during its conversion into proto- 

 chloride, and for this purpose distilled the perchloride through 

 red hot tubes into solution of nitrate of silver, receiving the gas 

 into tubes filled with and immersed in the same solution ; but I 

 could never get accurate results in this way, from the difficulty 

 of producing a complete decomposition, and also from the form- 

 ation of chloric acid. Five grains of perchloride distilled in this 

 manner gave 4-3 grains of chloride of silver, which are ecpuiva- 

 lent to 1-06 grain of chlorine ; but some of the chloride evidently 

 passed undecomposed, and crystallized in the tube. 



2-7 grains of the pure protochloride were passed over red hot 

 pure baryta in a glass tube : a very brilliant combustion with 

 flame took place, chloride of barium and carbonic acid were 

 produced, and a little charcoal deposited. When the tube was 

 cold, the barytes was dissolved in nitric acid, and the chlorine 

 precipitated by nitrate of silver. IM grains of dry chloride of 

 silver were obtained = 2-32 grains of chlorine. 



Other experiments were made with lime, which gave results 

 very near to this, the quantity of chloride being rather less. 



three grains of pure protochloride were passed over peroxide 

 of copper heated red hot in an iron tube, and the gas received 

 over mercury. 3-5 cubic inches of carbonic acid gas came over 

 mixed with -1 of a cubic inch of common air. These 3-5 cubic 

 inches are nearly equal to -449 of a grain of carbon. 



Tliese experiments indicate tin composition of the fluid chlo- 

 ride of carbon to be one proportion of chlorine and one of car- 

 bon, or 33-5 of the former, and 6' 7 of the latter. The difference 

 between these theoretical numbers, and the results of the expe- 



