CARBON AND HYDROGEN. 405 



SUPER-OLEFIANT GAS. 



1. REMARK. We mention this gas, (whose distinct existence is 

 highly probable, but not perhaps fully proved,) out of respect to Mr. 

 Dalton, and Dr. Henry, to whom science is so much indebted, es- 

 pecially in relation to the inflammable gases. 



2. HISTORY. Dr. Henry, in the Phil. Trans, for 1821, has 

 given an account of the discovery of this gas by Mr. Dalton, which 

 has not been obtained in a separate form, but mingled with other 

 varieties, in the gases obtained from oil, coal, &c. 



3. PROPERTIES. 



(a.) For complete combustion, 1 volume requires 4j of oxygen, 

 and produces 3 of carbonic acid. 



(b.) Sp. gr. estimated at 1.4, but Dr. Henry thinks that if con- 

 stituted as he supposes, of 3 volumes of gaseous carbon, and 3 vol- 

 umes of hydrogen, condensed into 1 volume, its specific gravity must 

 be 1.458, derived from multiplying the sp. gr. of hydrogen, .0694, 

 and that of gaseous carbon, .4166, each by 3, and adding the pro- 

 ducts together. 



(c.) A portion of a gas which contained more than 40 per cent, 

 of the super-olefiant, was cooled by muriate of lime and snow, but 

 no liquid was deposited from it ; it was condensible by chlorine, but 

 the product has a peculiar odor, unlike that of chloric ether. 



OTHER COMPOUNDS OF CARBON AND HYDROGEN. 



It is believed that there are four or five more of these compounds, 

 in which the constituent principles bear the same proportion to each 

 other, but differing in the degree of condensation. 



1 . It is supposed that a compound may exist of 1 volume of car- 

 bon, and of 1 of hydrogen, condensed into 1 : the sp. gr. of this 

 would be, for the carbon vapor, .4166, and for the hydrogen, .0694, 

 the sum of which would be, .4860 ; but this has not yet been dis- 

 covered, although Dr. Thomson and Dr. Henry, concur in suggest- 

 ing that it may yet be found.* 



2. Dr. Thomson inferred that another compound might exist in 

 the vapor of ether, in union with 1 volume of aqueous vapor. He 

 supposed that it might consist of 4 volumes of vapor of carbon, and 

 4 volumes of hydrogen, condensed into 1 volume ; it would of course 

 have twice the sp. gr. of olefiant gas, that of 1.9444 : it would require 

 6 vols. of oxygen, for its entire combustion, and would produce 4 vols. 

 of carbonic acid.f Its equivalent would of course be 28, composed 

 of 4 X 6 for the carbon, and 4X1 for the hydrogen. 



Dr. Thomson gave it the provisional name of quadro-carburet. 

 This compound has since been discovered by Mr. Faraday. In Mr. 



* Perhaps as a constituent of coal gas. 



t Hence, adding the number representing the sp. gr. of aqueous vapor, Dr. Thom- 

 son inferred that the sp. gr. of the vapor of ether must be 1.9444+06250=2.5694. 



