Miscellanies. 193 
Oxide of Phosphorus, by Berzexrus, (Chem. Gazette, Aug. 1844, p. 
301.)—When a large surface of phosphorus is exposed to the action of dry 
atmospheric air, it is slowly oxidized without forming any free phosphoric 
acid, being converted into a brown mass, which is the phosphate of the oxide 
of phosphorus decomposed by water, with a separation of the pure oxide. 
This is however more readily formed by pouring liquid sulphuret of phos- 
pherus into a flask containing dry air, which must be occasionally renew- 
ed by means of a chloride of calcium tube; the inside of the flask soon 
becomes covered with a brown tenacious mass. At the expiration of a 
week the flask is to be filled with water, with which the mass mixes, 
forming a beautiful yellow milk; this is removed with a syphon to prevent 
any of the undecomposed sulphuret from mixing with it. The liquid being 
heated to 176° Fah. becomes clear with the deposition of a yellow hydrate 
of the oxide of phosphorus. It should be washed and dried in the air. 
Phosphuret of Lime, (Compt. Rend. Aug. 1844, p. 313.)—This sub- 
stance, sometimes called phosphuret of calcium, has been the subject of 
some recent investigations by M. Thenard, and he has found that the 
composition of it, whether made by passing the vapor of phosphorus over 
laminz, or small Jumps of incandescent lime, is the same—the surface 
containing no more phosphorus than the centre. The following is the 
nature of the chemical change that takes place: 10 equivalents of lime 
are decomposed, its oxygen combining with 2 equivalents of phosphorus, 
forming phosphoric acid, which combines with a portion of lime,—the 
calcium liberated combining with the rest of the phosphorus, which is 5 
atoms, forming phosphuret of calcium,—so that the phosphuret of lime 
is a mixture of definite proportions of the phosphate of lime and phos- 
phuret of calcium—2PO°* 4CaO-+5PCa?. 
The changes which take place when this substance is brought into con- 
tact with water are these :—the phosphuret of calcium and water by their 
mutual reaction produce the liquid phosphuretted hydrogen, (see abstracts, 
Am. Jour., Vol. xuvmi, Jan. 1845,) and lime, without the appearance of 
the hydrosulphite—5PCa? converted into 5PH?+-10CaO. As the liquid 
phosphuretted hydrogen is very unstable, particularly in the presence of 
lime, it is transformed into the gaseous spon-inflammable phosphuretted 
hydrogen and the solid variety thuxu—5PH?—P?H+3PH?; as the ac- 
tion continues to develope itself, the quantity of lime increases, the gas 
becomes less and less inflammable, and contains more and more hydro- 
gen, because the solid phosphuretted hydrogen disappears under the in- 
fluence of water and an alkali; and the liquid which at first contained 
but a little hypophosphite now becomes changed, and it can be collected 
upon filtering and evaporating. 
If the phosphuret of lime be thrown into concentrated muriatic acid, 
the liquid phosphuretted hydrogen, which is at first formed is immediately 
decomposed into solid and gaseous non-spon-inflammable phosphuretted 
Vol. xxix, No. 1.—April-June, 1845. 25 
