^56 



SULPHUR AND PHOSPHOEUS. 



The sublini. 

 combines with 

 .water, and 

 after evap. af- 

 fords sol. of 

 phosphoric ac. 

 i'he liquor, by 

 «imiiar treat- 

 ment, afFords 

 crvstals. 



Gas emitted 

 tluring its 

 combustion. 



which is hy- 

 drophospho- 

 roys acid. 



Properties of 

 the gas. 



by MM, Gay Lussac and Tlienjid, by distilling phosphorus 

 and calomel together*; and it nnay be produced in the expen- 

 ment with corrosive sublimate, if sufficient heat be used to 

 sublime the phosphorus, or if there be not an excess of the 

 corrosive sublimate. T have made no experiments, in order to 

 ascertain the quantity of phosphorus the liquor will dissolve. 



When the white sublimate is made to act upon water, it 

 dissolves in it, producing much heat. The solution evapo- 

 rated atfords a thick liquid, which is a solution of pure phos- 

 phoric acid, or a hydrate of phosphoric acid. 



When the liquor is treated with water in the same way, it 

 furnishes likewise a thick fluid of the consistence of syrup, 

 which crystallizes slowly by cooling, and forms transparent 

 parallelopipedons. 



This substance has very singular properties : when it is 

 heated pretty strongly in the air, it takes fire and burns bril- 

 liantly, emitting, at t!ie same time, globules of gas, that inflame 

 at the surface of the liquid. This substance may be called 

 hydrophosphurous acid ; for it consists ,of pure phosphorous 

 acid and water. This is proved by the action of ammoniacal 

 gas upon it ; when it is heated in contact with ammonia, water 

 is expelled, and phosphate of ammonia formed j and it is like- 

 wise shewn by the results of its decomposition in close vessels, 

 which are phosphoric acid and a peculiar compound of phos- 

 phorus and hydrogen. 



Ten parts in weight of the crystalline acid I found produced 

 about 85 parts of solid phosphoric acid, and the elastic pro- 

 duct must of course have formed the remainder of the weight, 

 allowing for a small quantity of the substance not decom- 

 posed. 



The peculiar gas is not spontaneously inflammable ; but 

 explodes when mixed with air, and heated to a temperature ra- 

 ther belov;' 212°. 



Its specific gravity appeared from an experiment in which a 

 small quantity of it only was weighed, to be to that of air 

 neaily as 8/ to 100. Water absorbed about one-eighth of its 

 vokinie of this gas. Its smell was disagreeable, but not nearly 

 so fetid as that of common phosphuretted hydrogen. 



When it was detonated with oxygen, it was found that 



three 



