302 



Simpleinflam- 

 jnables. 



PLosphorus. 



Sulphun 



IfATUHE ANT> PECOMPOStTIOIf OF THE FIXED ALKALIS. 



with hidrogen. c^as, are fdrtned. In nitrous acid, nitrous gas 

 is diseiigatjed, and nitrate of jaotash formed. 



Tlie basis of potash readii;y' combines with the sinaple in- 

 flammable solids, and with the metals; with phoophorus 

 and sulphur it forms compounds similar to the metallic 

 phosphurets and sulphurets. 



When it is broug^ht into contact with a piece of phos- 

 phorus, and pressed upon, there is a considerable action : 

 they become fluid t<)gether, burn, and produce phosphatef 

 of potash. When the experiment is made upon naphtha, 

 their combination takes place without the liberation of any 

 elastic matter, and they form a compound, which has a con- 

 siderably higher point of fusion than its two constituents, 

 and which remains a soft solid in boiling naphtha. In its 

 appearance it perfectly agrees with a metallic pbosphuret, it 

 is of the colour of lead, and when spread out, has a lustre 

 similar to polished lead. M^lren exposed to air at common 

 temperatures, it slowly combines with oxigen, and becomes 

 phosphate of potash. When heated upon a plate of platina, 

 fumes exhale from it, and it does not burn, till it attains 

 the temperature of the rapid combustion of the basis of 

 potash. 



When the basis of potash is brought into contact with 

 sulphur in fusion, in tubes tilled with the vapour of naphtha, 

 they combine rapidly with evolution of heat and light, 

 and a gray substance, in appearance like artificial sulphuret 

 of iron, is formed, which, if kept in fusion, rapidly dissolves 

 the glass, and becomes bright brown. When this experi- 

 ment is made in a glass tube hermetically sealed, no gas is 

 liberated, if the tube is opened under mercury; but when 

 it is made in a tube connected with a mercurial apparatus, 

 a small quantity of sulphuretted hidrogen is evolved, so that 

 the phenomena are similar to those produced by the union 

 of sul(ihur with the irietals in which sulphuretted hidrogen 

 is likewise disengaged, except that the ignition is stronger*. 



When 



„ , , * The existence of hidrogen in sulphur is rendered very probable by 



St.lphurcnn- ... , ^\, „ /^ ,, ^ . / _■ ,,. ■ ■ 



Ums hidrogen the ingenious researches of Ixlr. berihoUet, Jua Annales deChimie, 



Fevritr 1607, p. 1,4.J. (See Journal vol. XVllI, p. 50 ) This fact is al- 

 most demonstrated by an experiment, which I saw made by W. ClayfieW, 

 Esq , al Bristoij in 1799. Coppor filings and powdered sulphur, in weight 



