CARBON AND SULPHUR. 427 



hydrogen exist, but they will be studied with most advantage 

 under organic chemistry, to which they properly belong. 



SECTION II. 

 CARBON AND SULPHUR. 



Bisulphuret of carbon, C S 2 . Charcoal ignited in an atmo- 

 sphere of sulphur vapour, combines with that element, and 

 forms a compound which holds the same place in the sulphur 

 series that carbonic acid occupies in the oxygen series of com- 

 pounds. The bisulphuret of carbon is a volatile liquid, and 

 may be prepared by distilling, in a porcelain retort, yellow 

 pyrites or bisulphuret of iron, with a fourth of its weight of 

 well-dried charcoal, both in the state of fine powder and inti- 

 mately mixed. The vapour from the retort is conducted to the 

 bottom of a bottle filled with cold water, to condense it. Or 

 sulphur vapour may be sent over fragments of well dried char- 

 coal in a porcelain or cast iron (not malleable iron) tube, placed 

 across a furnace. The product is generally of a yellow colour, 

 and contains sulphur in solution, to free it from which it is 

 redistilled in a glass retort, by a gentle heat. 



The bisulphuret of carbon is a colourless liquid, of high re- 

 fracting power, and sp. gr. 1.272. Its vapour has a tension of 

 7.38 Paris inches (Marx) at 50, and the liquid boils at 110; a 

 cold of 80 can be produced by its evaporation in vacuo. 

 This compound is extremely combustible, taking fire at a tem- 

 perature which scarcely exceeds the boiling point of mercury. 

 When a few drops of the liquid are thrown into a bottle of 

 oxygen gas, or nitric oxide, a combustible mixture is formed, 

 which burns, when a light is applied to it, with a brilliant flash 

 of flame, but without a violent explosion. The bisulphuret of 

 carbon is insoluble in water, but it is soluble in alcohol. It 

 dissolves sulphur, phosphorus and iodine. 



The bisulphuret of carbon is a sulphur acid, and combines 

 with sulphur bases, such as the sulphuret of potassium, forming 

 a class of salts which are called sulphocarbonates. Oxygen 

 bases dissolve it slowly, and are converted into a mixture of 

 carbonate and sulphocarbonate ; thus 2 equivalents of potash 

 with 1 of bisulphuret of carbon yield 2 equivalents of sulphuret 



