SULPHUR AND PHOSPHORUS. 3*5^ 



described the mutual action of phosphorus and oxymuriatic combinations 



gas or chlorine. I have noticed two compounds which appear °^ phosphorus 



to be distinct and peculiar bodies, formed by the union of the 



gas and the inflammable substance. One is solid, white, and i. Solid, white, 



crystalline in its appearance: easily volatile, and capable of^'^J^^''^: a"<i 

 ^ r- , . r -1 . . 1 • • -1 • when comb, 



lorming a nxed infusible substance by uniting with ammonia, with ammonia 



The other is fluid, limpid as water, and, as I have since found, 'n'^uslble. 



of specific gravity 1'45 ; it produces dense fumes by acting ^' ' ^\.g 



upon the water of the atmosphere, and when exposed to the forming dense 



atmosphere gradually disappears, leaving no residuum. \v^er cif'thV* 



The composition of the white sublimate is very easily as- atmos. and 

 certained by synthetical expcFiments, such as I have described ^^^P" ^^'"''y* 

 on a former occasion in the Transactions. By employing' ^^e snblimate 

 chlorine dried by muriate of lime in great excess, and making contains a of 

 the experiments in exhausted vessels, and admitiing solution go oT chlorine 

 of chlorine to ascertain the quantity of gas absorbed, I have 

 ascertained, that three grains of phosphorus unite with about 

 twenty grains of chlorine to form the sublimate. 



If the phosphorus be in great excess in the experiment of-phesecond or 



its combustion in chlorine, some of the liquor is formed with ^^^ liquor, is 



the sublimate ;but to obtain it in considerable quantities, phos- f^j^fy formed 



phorus should be passed in vapour through heated powdered by passing va- 



corrosive sublimate. A bent glass tube may be used for the F,*"^ ° P u P 

 ° •' tlirougli not 



process, and the liquor condensed in a cold vessel connected corros. subl. 

 with the tube. 



I have not been able to determine its composition by syn- j^ contains 3 

 thetical experiments ; but by pouring it gradually into water, pbospU and 

 suffering the water to become cool after each addition of the ^^^^^["'^jljg' 

 liquor, and then precipitating the solution by solution of nitrate quantity con- 



of silver, I have ascertained the quantity of chlorine and of ^^'"^*^ ^" * - 



' ' •' sublimate. 



phosphorus it contains. 13'6 grains, treated in this way, af- 

 forded 43 grains of horn silver. 



It is evident, from this analysis, compared with the result of 

 the synthetical experiments on the sublimate, that the quantity 

 of phosphorus being the same, the sublimate contains double as 

 much chlorine as the liquor. 



"When phosphorus is heated in the liquor, a portion is dis- ■^I'he liquor 

 solved, and it then, when exposed to the atmosphere, leaves a will riissolve 

 film of phosphorus, which, when the liquor is thrown on' paper, ^ ^°^P °^^^' 

 usually inflames : a substance of this kind was first procured 

 A a 2 by 



