Deflagrating Carburets, Phosphurets, or Cyanides. 307. 
= 
quicklime, enclosed in a porcelain tube heated to incandes- 
* 
Phosphuret of calcium, when carefully prepared, and, subse- 
quently, well heated, was found to be an excellent. conductor of 
the voltaic current evolved from the apparatus above mentioned 
Hence it was thought expedient to expose it in the circuit of the 
deflagrator, both in an atmosphere of hydrogen and in vacuo. 
The volatilization of phosphorus was so copious as to coat nearly 
all the inner surface of the bell-glass with an opake film, in color 
resembling that of the oxide of phosphorus, generated by expo- 
sing this substance under hot water to a current of oxygen.t+ 
The phosphuret at first contracted in bulk, and finally was, for 
the most volatilized. On the surface of the charcoal, ad- 
joining the cavity in which the phosphuret had been deflagrated, 
there was a light pulverulent matter, which, thrown into water, 
eflervesced, and, when rubbed upon a porcelain tile, appeared to 
contain metallic spangles, which were oxydized by the conse- 
quent exposure to atmospheric oxygen. 
_In one of my experiments with the apparatus above described, 
portions of the carbon forming the anode appeared to have un- 
dergone complete fusion, and to have dropped in globules upon 
the cathode. When rubbed, these globules had the color and 
lustre of -plumbago, and, by friction on paper, left traces resem- — 
bling those produced by that substance. 'They were susceptible 
of reaction neither with chloro-hydric nor with nitric acid, nei- 
ther separately nor when mixed. They were not in the slightest 
zree magnetic. 
About 1822, Professor Silliman obtained globules, which were 
at first considered as fused carbon, but were subsequently found 
to be depositions of that substance transferred from one electrode 
* After the above mentioned experiments were made, I was led to believe that 
the compound, obtained as above aa by heating lime with bicyanide of mer- 
ae A Seated fulminic acid, or nalogous substance. The mass being dissol- 
din acetic acid, and the filtered. solution subjected to nitrate of mercury, a copi- 
Minating silver. 
t The compound usually designated as the phosphuret of calcium consists, accor- 
ding to Thomson, of one atom of phosphate of lime, as wel 
pure ee Sea Hence it is easy to see that the oxygen which enters into the 
on of the oxide, deposited, as above mentioned, upon the interior su 
of the oo eg is derived from the phosphate. 
