48 On two new Compounds [1820. 



nearly all the fluid may, however, be condensed again ; but it 

 passes slightly coloured, and the tube and crystal are blackened 

 on the surface by charcoal. I am uncertain whether this de- 

 composition ought not to be attributed rather to the action of 

 the glass at this high temperature than to the heat alone. 



It is not soluble in water, but remains at the bottom of it in 

 drops, for many weeks, with oat any action. 



It is soluble in alcohol and aether, and the solutions burn 

 with a greenish flame, evolving fumes of muriatic acid. 



It is soluble in the volatile and fixed oils. The volatile oils 

 containing it burn with the emission of fumes of muriatic acid. 

 When the solutions of it in the fixed oils are heated, they do 

 not blacken or evolve fumes of muriatic acid. It is therefore 

 probable, that when this happens with the solution of the per- 

 chloride in fixed oils, it is from its conversion by the heat into 

 protochloride and the liberation of chlorine. 



It is not soluble in alkaline solutions, nor is any action appa- 

 rent after several days. Neither is it at all soluble in, or 

 affected by, strong nitric, muriatic, or sulphuric acids. 



Solutions of silver do not act on it. 



Oxygen decomposes it at high temperatures, forming car- 

 bonic oxide or acid, and liberating chlorine. 



Chlorine dissolves in it in considerable quantity, but has no 

 further action, or only a very slow one, in common daylight ; 

 on exposure to solar light, a different result takes place. I 

 have only had two days, and those in the middle of November, 

 on which I could expose the protochloride of carbon in atmo- 

 spheres of chlorine to solar light ; and hence the conversion of 

 the whole of the protochloride was not perfect ; but at the end 

 of those two days the retorts containing the substances were 

 lined with crystals, which, on examination under the micro- 

 scope, proved to be quadrangular plates, resembling those of 

 the perchloride of carbon. There were also some rhomboidal 

 crystals here and there. After the formation of these crystals, 

 there was considerable absorption in the retort ; hence chlorine 

 had combined ; and the gas which remained was chlorine un- 

 mixed with anything else, except a slight impurity. The 

 solid body, on examination, was found to be volatile, soluble in 

 alcohol, precipitable by water, and had the smell and other 

 properties of perchloride of carbon. Hence, though heat in 



