446 Mr, Faraday on new compounds 
liquid it may, like water and some saline solutions, be cooled 
much below that point before any part becomes solid. It 
contracts very much on congealing, g parts in bulk be- 
coming 8 very nearly ; hence its specific gravity in that state 
is about 0.956. At 0° it appears as a white or transparent 
substance, brittle, pulverulent, and of the hardness nearly of 
loaf sugar. 
It evaporates entirely when exposed to the air. Its boiling 
point in contact with glass is 186°. The specific gravity of 
its vapour, corrected to a temperature of 60°, is nearly 40 
Hydrogen being 1; for 2.3 grains became 3.52 cubic inches 
of vapour at 212°. Barometer 29.98. Other experiments 
gave a mean approaching very closely to this result. 
It does not conduct electricity. 
This substance is very slightly soluble in water ; very 
soluble in fixed and volatile oils, in ether, alcohol, &c. ; the 
alcoholic solution being precipitated by water. It burns with 
a bright flame and much smoke. When admitted to oxygen 
gas, so much vapour rises as to make a powerfully detona- 
ting mixture. When passed through a red hot tube it gra- 
dually deposits carbon, yielding carburetted hydrogen gas. 
Chlorine introduced to the substance in a retort exerted 
but little action until placed in sun-light, when dense fumes 
were formed, without the evolution of much heat ; and ulti- 
mately much muriatic acid was produced, and two other 
substances, one a solid crystalline body, the other a dense 
thick fluid. It was found by further examination, that neither 
of these were soluble in water ; that both were soluble in 
alcohol — the liquid readily, the solid with more difficulty. 
Both of them appeared to be triple compounds of chlorine. 
