192 F. H. Storer on Nitric Acid and Chlorate of 
The sulphocyanid used for the experiments mentioned in 
the paragraphs marked “‘ A ” was prepared by fusing together 
ferrocyanid of potassium, carbonate of potassium, and sulphur 
in the usual way, treating the fused mass with hot alcohol and 
allowing the alcoholic solution to crystallize. That used for 
the experiments in paragraphs B was prepared in precisely the 
same way as the foregoing, but at another time. The salt 
prepared in this way is evidently contaminated with free sul- 
phur, or some sulphur compound other than the sulphocyanid, 
which has been taken up by the alcohol. 
The Ee erent recorded in paragraph C was made with, 
which separated from the alcoholic mother-liquid of B. 
crystals were quickly pressed between folds of filter paper and 
portions of them were weighed out for the analyses. 
The crystals cbtained directly from the aqueous solution of 
the sulphocyanid were contaminated to a considerable extent, 
with carbonate of potassium, but after they had been recrystal- 
ized from alcohol only traces of the carbonate were found up- 
on them. 
Stated in terms of per cents, the results may be tabulated 
as follows :— 
A Fa Found. if Theory. 
A. ) Impure 34°85 33°91 
B. fcrystals.{ 34-98 34°38 
ES aes ran 32°45 neg a 32°90 
1 eee ee 32°85 32°86 
easy to completely oxydize either of these substances by means 
of the mixed chlorate of potassium and nitric acid. Anthra- 
cite dissolves even more readily than bituminous coal, since, uD- 
like the latter, it does not fuse to a single mass in the hot acid. 
It is not improbable that by a slight variation of the fore- 
going process it may be found practicable to determine the 
carbon of an organic compound at the same time as the sul- 
