[ 256 ] [Book VI. 



. . C H A P. XXXIX. 



SULPHUR. 



General Properties of Sulphur. Natural Hijlory of Sulphur. Union 

 ^wiih Earths. With Alkalies. Liver of Sulphur, -Artificial ful~ 

 f bureaus Waters. Ufcs of Sulphur. 



r~>ULPHUR is another fimple inflammable fub- 

 C3 ftance, which agrees in Come properties with 

 phofphorus. Like that it melts with a gentle heat, 

 and is capable of a gradual as well as of a rapid com- 

 buftion, in proportion to the degree of heat applied to 

 it. Heated to 170 of Fahrenheit it generally evapo- 

 rates; it melts at 1 8 5 and then appears red; it inflames 

 at 302. Its flame is blue, and accompanied with a 

 iTiarp fu frocating fmell, which is the fulphureous or 

 volatile vitriolic acid. 



In treating of other bodies, particularly the metallic, 

 feveral have been mentioned with which fulphur is 

 found united in the bowels of the earth: few fub- 

 ftances are indeed more abundant in nature than ful- 

 phur ; it alfo enters into the compofition of animal 

 matters, and, in a very fmall proportion, into that of 

 vegetables. 



The fulphur of commerce is extracted, by diftilla- 

 tion, from the fubftance which has been fo often men- 

 tioned under the name of pyrites, in which ft ate it is 

 combined with iron, and* is fo hard as to ftrike fire 

 with fleel. Pyrites in colour and appearance refemble 

 brafs; fome pieces are cubical, but in general this 

 mineral has no determinate form. The fulphur ob- 

 tained by the ftrft diftillation is feldom pure, from the 



fteams 



