Experiments on Bichlorure of Sulphur, ^"c. 73 



less it be that it discolors them. Another part of the crystals, 

 having undergone a potash solution, gave a solid and very gluey 

 deposit of a dirty yellow ; the solution became yellowish ; the 

 sides of the vessel, in which the operation was performed, became 

 very greasy, the deposits, as well as the potash solution, had a 

 very strong and decided smell of cucumber. 



The red liquor, in the midst of which was the mass of crystals, 

 slightly smoked in the open air, though its point of ebullition 

 was pretty high ; its density is greater than that of sulphuric 

 acid, but a part floats even above the water, which betokens a 

 complex liquid ; it is insoluble in water and in ether, but rather 

 soluble in alcohol ; however, the alcoholic solution having evap- 

 orated, appears to leave the liquor untouched ; water brings about 

 a powdery deposit of a currant red. 



This liquid, on distillation, gives a yellowish oil of a flavor 

 acrid, pungent, and very enduring ; it reddens the blue paper, 

 doubtless by free chlorohydric acid. 



The writer further made bichlorure of sulphur prepared cold, 

 react on two other carbures of hydrogen, oil of naphtha, and es- 

 sence of turpentine, both as highly rectified as possible. With 

 the oil of naphtha, the action is lively, and accompanied by a 

 marked ebullition ; the temperature rises rapidly, and a consid- 

 erable quantity of chlorohydric acid is thrown off". A black de- 

 posit of a very glutinous nature was obtained ; the liquid as- 

 sumed a very brown red color. The whole, being distilled, gave 

 a yellowish liquid, which, being washed with water, furnished 

 a yellowish and glutinous mass, floating on the liquid ; it was 

 sulphur impregnated with a very volatile oil, rapidly disappear- 

 ing from the paper used for straining, and without any sediment. 

 This mass undergoing a warm preparation with alcohol, consid- 

 erably diminished in bulk, and, after cooling, oily drops gathered 

 on the surface. Ether dissolves this species of oil better than 

 alcohol ; what remained undissolved by the ether, still betokened, 

 on being burned, the presence of a resinous matter ; it was then 

 subjected to the influence of boiling nitric acid, which left a 

 globule of sulphur. The washings of the distilled liquid con- 

 tained much chlorohydric acid and also some sulphuric acid. 



The deposit left in the cucurbite became blacker and more 

 plentiful ; it burned like resin, and did not appear to contain sul- 

 phur ; it is soluble in nitric acid, warm, and by evolving after a 



Vol. xLir, No. 1.— Oct.-Dec. 1841. 10 



