Old Sulphur Well, Harrogate, 55 



would be retained in solution by the alkaline sulphide which 

 Dr. Bennett inferred was alone present. It is quite certain 

 that a portion of the sulphur in the water exists as free sul- 

 phuretted hydrogen. 



In order to determine the ratio betaveen the dissolved gas 

 and the alkaline sulphide present, I followed the procedure 

 adopted by Simmler in his analysis of the Stachelberg sulphur- 

 water, of expelling the hydrogen sulphide by a current of an 

 indifferent gas, such as hydrogen, and passing the escaping 

 gas through an amnioniacal solution of silver nitrate, convert- 

 ing the precipitated sulphide into chloride, and determining 

 the amount of sulphur from the weight of the latter compound. 

 The operation (which extended over about twenty hours) was 

 conducted immediately after the collection of the water, and 

 before it had suffered the slightest exposure to air. Two ex- 

 periments were carried on simultaneously. The results are as 

 follows : — 



Water taken. AgCl obtained. Dissolved H 2 S in 1000 grams. 



1363*26 grains. 0-6271 gram. 0*0544 



1355-75 „ 0-5962 „ 0-0521 



Mean ... 0-0533 



Determination of alkaline sulphide, 



Total sulphur . . =-0923 



Equal to H 2 S .... =-0980 



Deduct free H 2 S ... -0533 



Combined H 2 S .... =-0447 

 = NaHS -07369. 



Search was made for carbon oxysulphide, which, according 

 to Than, appears to exist in certain Hungarian sulphur waters. 

 The method of testing was based upon the fact that when 

 carbon oxysulphide is led into solution of ammonia, ammonium 

 oxysulphocarbamate, NH 2 COSN"H 4 , is formed, and that when 

 the solution of this salt is heated to 100° in sealed tubes it 

 loses the elements of water and is converted into ammonium 

 sulphocyanate, the existence of which is readily demonstrated 

 by the blood-red coloration it affords with ferric chloride. 

 The gases evolved by boiling 2 litres of the recently collected 

 water were led into dilute ammonia ; and the ammoniacal solu- 

 tion, after concentration, was heated as above described. The 

 residue left on evaporation gave not the slightest indication 

 of the presence of a sulphocyanate. 



The results of the analysis, arranged in the conventional 

 mode of representing the state of combination of the various 

 acids and bases, are as follows : — 



