by employing Anhydrous Liquids as Solvents. 415 



the purpose of chemically acting upon each other ; but we have 

 comparatively neglected the solvent power of other liquids which 

 might be employed for the purpose. Numerous reactions may 

 be obtained by dissolving one or both of the acting substances 

 in non-aqueous liquids, such as bisulphide of carbon, chloride of 

 sulphur, chloride of arsenic, bichloride of tin, ether, &c. Various 

 substances which are insoluble in water, such as phosphorus, 

 sulphur, selenium, iodine, &c, and various compounds also 

 which are decomposable by water, such as the chlorides of phos- 

 phorus, antimony, &c, may thus be brought into a liquid state 

 and rendered fit for chemical reaction ; and I propose in the fol- 

 lowing communication to illustrate this by various experiments 

 which I have made with bisulphide of carbon as the dissolving 

 agent. The bisulphide employed in these experiments had been 

 previously redistilled from fragments of fused chloride of calcium 

 mixed with carbonate of lead in powder. 



It is well known that bisulphide of carbon dissolves phospho- 

 rus, sulphur, and iodine, and mixes freely with bromine and 

 with chloride of sulphur ; and sulphide of phosphorus and iodide 

 of sulphur have each been formed by dissolving their ingredients 

 in that liquid and removing the solvent by evaporation. 



In examining the behaviour of bisulphide of carbon with 

 numerous inorganic substances, I have obtained the following 

 positive results : the substances were generally in the driest 

 state, and were in most cases digested in the liquid in closed 

 bottles during several weeks at the ordinary atmospheric tem- 

 perature : — 



Anhydrous sulphuric acid dissolved slightly and formed a 

 fuming liquid. Persulphide of hydrogen containing an excess 

 of sulphur dissolved instantly and copiously, and formed a yel- 

 low liquid. (Bisulphide of carbon also absorbs sulphuretted 

 hydrogen gas.) Selenium in powder dissolved slowly and spa- 

 ringly, and formed a rich yellow liquid ; the solution when eva- 

 porated left a residue of red powder intermingled with brilliant 

 golden scales ; white phosphorus added to the solution produced 

 no visible change. Phosphide of selenium dissolved slowly and 

 sparingly, and formed a yellow solution. Sulphide of selenium 

 dissolved slowly and sparingly, and formed a very rich yellow 

 liquid. Iodide of selenium dissolved sparingly, and formed a 

 purple solution. Bromide of selenium formed a red liquid. 

 Pentachloride of phosphorus dissolved and formed a colourless 

 liquid. Bisulphide of carbon, digested with potassium and 

 sodium, slowly acquired in the former case a faint yellow colour, 

 and in the latter case a deeper yellow colour ; the metals acquired 

 (as is already well known) thick coatings of reddish -brown 

 matter. Hydrate of soda slowly acquired an orange-red colour. 



