Monosulphid of Potassium and Bromid of Ethylene. 393 
intact during the reaction; further, as will be seen by the table 
below, if the bromine in each analysis be supposed combined 
with the amount of carbon required to form with it bromid of 
ethylene, the remainder of the carbon stands very nearly in the 
same atomic relation to the sulphur that these elements bear to 
one another in the sulphid of ethylene, namely, 2:1; so that the 
idea naturally suggests itself that the body in question may be 
abromid of ethylene in which a part of the bromine has. been 
replaced by sulphur. 
The numbers in the table were obtained by multiplying the 
_ percentage amount of bromine by 3, subtracting the product 
_ fom the percentage of carbon, and dividing the remainder by 
12, the atomic weight of carbon, and then comparing the num- 
ber thus obtained with the percentage of sulphur divided by its 
atomic weight, 32. 
1, II. il. IV. 
» ©:8 = 20771 1°92 :1 1:96:1 1:98: 1 
_ There is, however, a fact which speaks strongly against the 
above hypothesis, founded on these numerical relations, namely, 
that the bromine in the amorphous, sulphuretted compound is 
lisengaged at a not very elevated temperature in the form of 
bromhydric acid, a property which indicates a molecular ar- 
tangement of the bromine, with reference to the hydrogen, very 
erent from that in the bromid of ethylene, as this latter can 
be heated to a very high temperature without suffering decom- 
Position, A theory in regard to the nature of a body, which 
depends merely on its percentage composition and is at variance 
with its chemical properties, is inadmissible; and in the ab- 
sence of any reaction which could throw light on the subject, the 
tational formula of the immediate product of the action of 
bromid of ethylene on the monontiphid of ethylene must be 
undetermined. 
It is worthy of notice, that, although a crystallized substance 
S easily obtained by the decomposition of the amorphous body 
by heat, its product of oxydation is not among those which are 
tmed, when the latter is attacked by nitric acid at the ordinary 
: fmperature, 
the crystallized sulphid of ethylene can be obtained in consider- 
able quantity by the decomposition of the amorphous compound 
_ -*9r analysis were taken: 
SE a JOUR. Sor.—geconp SeRres, VoL. XXXVII, No. 111.—May, 1864. 
ie * ‘, 51 ‘ 
