602 DR E. A. LETTS ON THE ACTION OF 
to a crystalline mass. This was broken up, drained in a funnel, and washed — 
with methylated spirit. The strongly acid solution which drained from the 
crystals, together with the methylated spirit washings, was neutralised with 
baryta water, when a slight precipitate of sulphate of barium resulted. The 
excess of baryta was removed by a current of carbonic acid, and the filtered — 
solution evaporated to dryness on a water-bath. The solid mass which 
remained was extracted with boiling alcohol till it ceased to take up any 
of the crystalline substance. The remaining barium salt was dissolved 
in water, tle solution evaporated to small bulk and allowed to cool, 
when hexagonal tables separated out. These were washed with alcohol to 
remove colouring matter, redissolved in water, and the solution concentrated. 
Unfortunately it was allowed to evaporate to dryness, and a portion of the salt 
was charred ; the rest, however, was recrystallised from a very little boiling 
water, and presented the appearance of small white spangles. Previous to 
analysis it was dried on blotting paper in air. 
The results of its analysis are as follows :— 
I. 1 Ill. 
Water... : ; 7'59(a) 3 a 
Barium, . : : 38°5(6) 38°8(c) 38°8(c) 
Sulphur . : 4 ey 18°8(c) 18-0(c) 
(a) Dried at 100. 
(6) Same quantity as (a) treated with sulphuric acid after ignition. 
(c) Oxidised by fusing with a mixture of caustic potash and nitrate of 
potassium. The mass was then treated with water, and the barium 
and half the sulphur determined by filtering off and weighing the 
sulphate of barium. The other half of the sulphur was deter nia 
in the filtrate by precipitation with a barium salt. 
The numbers obtained agree with those calculated for methyl-sulphite of 
barium, containing three molecules of water of crystallisation to two molecules 
of the anhydrous salt. Thus— 
Calculated for 
2(CH,SO,).Ba, 3H,0. 
Water, ; ; A 76 
Barium, . : Z 38°7 
Sulphur, . ‘ ‘ 176 
T am not aware, however, that a salt having that composition has ever 
been obtained, the only one that I can find mention* of containing one 
molecule of water of crystallisation to one of the anhydrous salt. It is quite 
possible that the salt suffered some change by the accidental heating to which 
it was subjected, but on the other hand a barium salt obtained by the oxidation 
* Muspratt, “ Ann. d. Chem, u. Pharm.” Ixv, 260. 

