RESEARCHES UPON THE CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF GASES. 205 



Ammoniacal cadmium chloride Very slight precipitation, which dissolves in Ihe reagent 



or in acid. 



Arsenious chloride Unchanged. 



Potassium permanganate, acidulated by hydrochloric Rapidly bleached. No sulphuric acid is formed. 

 acid. 



Lead acetate Unchanged. 



Bromine water Rapidly bleached. On evaporation, a crystalline residue 



results. The substance is volatile in the cold. 



Mercurous nitrate Very dense, grayish -black precipitate. 



Nickel hydroxide in water , Unchanged. 



Ferric hydroxide in water Unchanged. 



Ferric chloride Decided but incomplete reduction to ferrous chloride. 



Yellow oxide of mercury in water Unchanged. 



Osmic acid Rapidly reduced. 



Potassium rutheniate Very slowly and incompletely reduced. 



Cuprous chloride While crystalline precipitate, soluble in hydrochloric 



acid and reprecipitated by ammonia. Turns brown 



on washing with water. 



Cupric chloride Unchanged. 



Iridium chloride Yellow precipitate, resembling the platinum compound. 



Hydrogen peroxide No oxidation to sulphuric acid occurs. 



Potassium ferricyanide Very slow reduction to ferrocyanide. 



Potassium bichromate acidulated with hydrochloric acid Very slight reduction. No sulphuric acid is formed. 



Cerium dioxide dissolved in sulphuric acid Quickly bleached. 



Precipitated carbonate of copper 1 



Litharge I These substances, tried separatelj' in water, remained 



White lead [ unchanged. 



Lead chromate J 



Silver foil in water Unchanged. 



Comments. — The metallic compounds of methyl sulphide are, without exception, 

 more soluble than those of methyl hydrosulphide. jSTo insoluble compounds of 

 methyl sulphide have yet been found. Towards oxidizing agents, methyl sulphide 

 is as stable as methyl hydrosulphide. In no case was a trace of sulphuric acid 

 produced, although the gas was subjected to the action of many very powerful oxi- 

 dizing agents. 



The gold chloride reaction is similar to that produced by methyl hydrosulphide. 



Carbon oxysulphide is sharply distinguished from methyl sulphide and hydro- 

 sulphide by the ease with which it is oxidized to sulphuric acid by many oxidizing 

 agents, such as bromine water or potassium permanganate in acid solution ; more- 

 over, the separation of sulphuretted hydrogen from carbon oxysulphide is easily 

 effected, as already stated, by the yellow oxide of mercury. 



Although not altogether satisfactory, the following plan may be used to recognize 

 small quantities of methyl sulphide : The gas is passed through a small quantity of 



A. p. S. VOL. XVIL 2 a. 



