52 Chemistry. [Lecture 25. 







heat, and collected in proper vessels. But I shall 

 have to introduce more observations upon it 

 under the class of Combustibles, and therefore 

 have now only to remark its combinations. 



Like phosphorus, it has a strong attraction 

 for oxygen, and therefore is easily converted into 

 an acid by combustion in the open air. A small 

 dose of oxygen produces sulphurous acid, a larger 

 portion sulphuric acid. The sulphuric acid 

 (formerly called the vitriolic) is a very powerful 

 agent in chemistry. But of its properties it will 

 be necessary to treat under the class of acids. 



Sulphur unites with the other simple combus- 

 tibles, and some other bodies, and forms sul- 

 phurets. 



VII. CARBON is a substance very plentifully 

 diffused throughout nature, since it enters into 

 the composition of all vegetable and animal 

 bodies. It is, however, only found pure and in a 

 solid form in that most estimable of gems the 

 diamond, which by various experiments is found 

 to be pure carbon in a crystallized state. It is, 

 however, found sufficiently pure for chemical 

 purposes in the charcoal of wood, and will be 

 treated of at large under the class of com- 

 bustibles. I have at present only briefly to 

 notice its combinations. 



With oxygen, carbon forms carbonic acid, 

 which is found naturally united with several sub- 

 stances. It exists in large quantities, united 

 with chalk, limestone, marbles, &c, and in most 



