1S14.] made during the Year 1S13. 15 



distillation at a low heat in a retort. It possesses the following 

 properties. It is a transparent colourless liquid, of the specific 

 gravity [•272. It has an acrid, pungent, and somewhat aromatic 

 taste. It has a peculiar and disagreeable smell. Its refractive 

 power is 1*645. It boils at a heat of between 103° and 110°, and 

 continues liquid at the temperature of — GOP. It is very inflam- 

 mable, burning with a bluish flame, and emitting copious fumes of 

 sulphurous acid. It is insoluble in water ; but dissolves readily in 

 alcohol, ether, and oils, both fixed and volatile. It dissolves 

 camphor. Potassium burns in its vapour, and is converted into a 

 sulphuret, in which charcoal is deposited. According to the very 

 ingenious and satisfactory analysis of Berzelius and Marcet, sul- 

 phuret of carbon is composed of 



Sulphur 84-83 



Carbon 15-17 



100-00 



or of two atoms of sulphur and one atom of charcoal. 



It appears from the experiments of Berzelius tliat sulpliuret ol 

 carbon combines with alkalies, cartlis, and metallic oxides, and 

 forms a species of compounds to which he has given the name of 

 carl'O-sidphureis. 



6. During the experiments of Drs. Berzelius xind Marcet, they 

 observed that when nitro-muriatic acid is made to act for a consider- 

 able time on sulphuret of carbon, at the common temperature of 

 tlie air, there is formed a substance which has very much the 

 appearance of camphor. This sulistance is white, has a smell 

 similar to that of oxymuriate of sul])liur, and an acrid and acid 

 taste. It melts at a gentle heat, and readily sublimes. It is inso- 

 luble in water, but dissolves readily in alcohol and ether, from 

 which it is precipitated by water. It dissolves likewise in fixed and 

 volatile oils. Berzelius found this substance a compound of three 

 acids^ in the following proportions : — 



Muriatic acid 4S*74 



Sulphurous acid 2i)'G3 



Carbonic acid (and loss) 2 1 -63 



100-00 



These proportions approach nearest to 3 atoms of muriatic acid, 

 1 atom of sulphurous acid, and 1 atom of carbonic acid. Berzelius 

 proposes to call this new compound acid acidiim muiiativtim sul- 

 pliuroso-curionicum. 



7. Some time ago M. Duloiig, a French gentleman, by parsing 

 a mixture of oxymuriatic and azotic gases through a soiutiun of 

 siilpbatc or Muiriateof ammoniii, obtained an oily-lookiiig siiljstance, 

 which has the property of detonating with violence when i)Iatcd in 

 toniact \uth phosphorus or oils. The formation of this body had 



