1837-38. 



ENTHUSIASM FOR CHEMISTRY. 



133 



and got a piece of apparatus with tubes of longer diameter, and, 

 on King Charles the First's martyrdom day, tried the process 

 on the larger scale ; but though I worked from ten till four in 

 the same cold room (obliged to dip my hands now and then into 

 hot water kept boiling over a gas-light, or I should have 

 ' starved'), not a single drop of the liquid did I get. Then I re- 

 solved to reverse the process, and pass the sulphur over the 

 iodine. The thought struck me about nine o'clock. I imme- 

 diately got three test-tubes, one without a bottom, and tried it. 

 I made a very little this way, and 

 cleared out my large apparatus, 

 which with much difficulty I did, 

 and, sitting down next day to bore 

 a cork for it, I forgot it was in my 

 pocket, and crushed it to pieces. 

 No time was to be lost, so I fished out an old funnel, and 

 rigged it up thus ; but I only got the 

 smallest quantity. Then I thought of 

 a different plan, and I bought from Mr. 

 Duncan a compound of iodine and lead, 

 and tried it equally unsuccessful; a 

 compound of iodine and potassium 

 no better. Then I thought of getting a new arrangement of 

 apparatus, where both should 

 meet in a state of vapour. 

 Whilst getting the corks ready 

 for this, I bethought of trying s 

 with different proportions of 

 iodine and sulphur fused to- 

 gether. Some dim indications appeared with a glass tube, so 

 I fused some in a tobacco-pipe bowl, and noticing ruddy va- 

 pours, I held a glass jar over, 

 and was delighted to see some 

 of the fluid condensed. All 

 doubt was at an end, and, this 

 day, discarding all glass para- 

 phernalia and other fooleries, I have made half a bottleful in 

 three quarters of an hour, with an old and well-known black 



