^ COMPOUND O^ SULPHUR AND FHOSPHO^IUS. - 



injury, provided the fluid be perfefly tranfpaient, and con* 

 feqiiently contains not a particle of phofphuret of fulphur me- 

 chanically fufpended. 

 Which Isun- The luminous property of this liquid phofphorus is fo con- 



eommonly lu- fj^gj-gbie that about 4oz. of it, when contained in a common 

 minous. ' 



fize wine decanter, gives a fufficient liglit to difcern objects at 



a confiderable diftance in a large room, the moment the decan- 

 ter is unftopped. 

 Beautiful ex- Equal parts of this liquid phofphorus and oil of turpentine, 



fom^ious * when agitated together and poured out of any convenient per- 

 ihower. forated veffel, exhibits a beautiful phenomenon, greatly re- 



fembllng a luminous rain, or fliower of fire. 



Caution againft Though a liquid phofphorus may be obtained, as direded 



^"•^^ before, no attempt fliould be made to apply heat to a mixture 



of phofphuret of fulphur. For an explofion was always the 



refult whenever I attempted any procefs of that kind. 



Phofphuret of Phofphuret of fulphur is foluble in fulphuric and nitric ether. 



ble-'^in ether."' ^^ either of thefe fluids be fuffered to fland for fome weeks, 



over a quantity of phofphuret of fulphur in a clofed vial ; part 



Lummous phe- of the compound becomes diflfolved in the ether. If the ether 



nomena. ^^ fulfered to evaporate fpontancoufly, or when afllifted by 



heat, a multitude of exceedingly fmall cryftalsare left behind, 



which fliine in the d"ark with a brilliant yellow light. A piece 



of cloth dipped into this ether appears luminous in the dark all 



over, but in a few minutes this luniinous appearance ceafes, 



and the whole appears to be fprinkled over with gems. If a 



feather, or piece of tow, be dipt in water, and then thrown 



into a bottle containing ether impregnated with phofphuret of 



fulphur ; at the moment of contad of the two fluids, a fudden 



light of a yellow colour fpreads through the air, undulates along 



the furface of the fluid, and illuminates the whole bottle. 



Phofphuret of Phofphuret of fulphur is foluble in pure or redlified oil of 



fulphur in oil of turpentine, oil of rofemary, oil of lavender, and in the reft of 



turpentine, and ,,.,., . 



other volatile the volatile oils met with in commerce. The folutions are all 

 •'''^* , luminous in the dark, and depofit the phofphuret of fulphur 



when flowly evaporated, in the form of needlfe-fliaped cryftals. 

 Sparingly in Highly redilied alcohol takes up a fmall quantity of phofphuret 

 alcohol. ^f fuipimr, the alcolic folution is decompofable by the additiori 



of water. 

 It takes fire in Phofphuret of fulphur takes fire fpontancoufly in oxigenized 

 ox^. mur. acid muriatic acid gas. If a fmall quantity of dry phofphuret of ful- 

 phur 



