OSS 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[June 8, 1872. 
phur is manufactured chiefly from native sulphur, 
which is imported principally from Sicily. It is 
also obtained from iron and copper pyrites, FeS 2 and 
FeCuS 2 . Some considerable quantity is also reco¬ 
vered from “ soda-waste,” the impure sulphide of 
calcium obtained in the manufacture of carbonate 
of soda. By exposure to air this substance is par¬ 
tially oxidized and converted into hyposulphite. 
Onj the addition of hydrochloric acid, a reaction 
occurs which results hi the precipitation of the 
greater part of the sulphur. 
6HC1 = 
2 CaS 
Unchanged 
Sulphide. 
+ 
CaS 2 0 3 
Hyposulphite 
of Calcium. 
+ 
3CaCl 2 
Chloride of 
Calcium. 
4- 
3H 2 0 
Water. 
+ 
2 S 2 
Sulphur. 
red heat, producing carbon disulphide CS 2 , the ana¬ 
logue of carbon dioxide C 0 2 . 
With chlorine, bromine and iodine there are several 
compounds. Of these, S 2 Ch and S 2 I 2 are employed 
in medicine. The former is obtained by passing 
chlorine over sulphur, and the preparation known as 
“ hypochloride of sulphur” consists of flowers of 
sulphur impregnated with a small quantity of this 
compound. 
In many compounds sulphur officiates as the re¬ 
presentative of oxygen. We have, for instance, 
H 2 S corresponding to H 9 0 
ELS, 
Native sulphur is purified by distillation into 
receivers in which it condenses in the liquid state. 
Solidified in moulds it forms “roll sulphur.” To 
obtain “flowers of sulphur” the vapour is passed 
into a brickwork chamber in which, in consequence 
of being cooled suddenly, it is reduced at once to 
the solid form. 
Sublimed sulphur under the microscope will be 
found to consist of translucent globules which con¬ 
sist of crystals radiating from a centre. Except 
that it is crystalline, sublimed sulphur agrees in 
most respects with milk of sulphur. 
The impurities which the B. P. tests are intended 
to provide against are chiefly sulphurous acid and 
sulphide of arsenic. [§ Does not redden moistened 
litmus paper. Solution of ammonia, agitated with 
it, and filtered, does not on evaporation leave an} r 
residue.] 
Sulphur in its ordinary state is a yellow brittle 
solid, fusible, volatile, inflammable in the air, soluble 
in bisulphide of carbon, and in hot benzol and oil of 
turpentine. Heated to fusion, it solidifies on cooling 
to a mass of brownish translucent prismatic crystals 
which rapidly change back again into the ordinary 
or octahedral form. When melted sulphur is heated 
considerably above its fusing point, it becomes ex¬ 
tremely viscid, and retains this character if suddenly 
cooled. This plastic form of sulphur is insoluble in 
bisulphide of carbon, but recovers the crystalline 
soluble condition in a short time. Sulphur may be 
made to assume several other “ allotropic” forms, 
which, however, are of less interest. 
In most of its combinations sulphur exhibits a 
bivalent or dyad character, e.q. 
H) 
H 
•S 
H 
K 
S 
K 
K 
S Fe"S 
Sulphuric 
SO a 
H 2 S0 2 
h 2 so 3 
hIso 
h;sso 3 
KHS 
CaS 
CS 2 
k 2 cs 3 
K 3 AsS 4 
KCNS 
c„h 5 hs 
H 2 0 2 
KHO 
CaO 
CO., 
K 2 C0 3 
I\ 3 As0 4 
KCNO 
C o H 5 H0 
On the other hand, sulphur seems in a few cases 
to represent carbon. The sulphites, for example, re¬ 
semble the carbonates, and are generally isomorplious 
with them. 
corresponds to 
S0 2 
K„SOo 
KHSOg 
MgS0 3 
99 
C0 2 
K.CO, 
KHCO 3 
MgC0 3 
Sulphums Iodidum. —FouF'ounces of iodine and 
one ounce of sulphur are mixed and melted together 
in a flask. 
The compound possesses very nearly the composi¬ 
tion represented by the formula S 2 I 2 . 
Two atoms of iodine = 127 X. 2 = 254 
Two atoms of sulphur = 32 x 2 = 64 
These are nearly the proportions employed by the 
Pharmacopoeia. 
The compound gradually loses iodine w r hen kept 
exposed to the air. 
Oxides of Sulphur. Corresponding Acids. 
Hydrosulphurous (Schutzenberger) 
Sulphurous SOn 
Hyposulpliurous or Sulpho-sulphuric 
Disulphuric orNordhausen sulphuric H]S 2 0 7 
Dithionic H 2 S 2 0 6 
Tritliionic H 2 S 3 0 6 
Tetratliionic H 2 S 4 0 6 
Pentathionic H 2 S 5 0 6 
There are two compounds of sulphur with hydro¬ 
gen, corresponding to water and peroxide of hydrogen 
respectively. 
Sulphuretted hydrogen or 
Hydrosulphuric acid H 2 S 
Persulphide of Hydrogen H 2 S 2 
With carbon sulphur unites directly at a bright 
IRON REDUCED BY HYDROGEN. 
BY PROFESSOR G. DRAGENDORFF, 
(Dorpat, Russia.) 
It is well known that tho preparation bearing this 
name, as it is found in the market, frequently contains 
large proportions of triferrotetroxide; nay, that it occa¬ 
sionally consists of this exclusively, so that it yields no 
effervescence in contact with diluted acids. Sometimes, 
even when diluted acids develope hydrogen, greyish- 
black, rounded masses, may be separated from the 
powder by a sieve, easily recognizable as the above 
mentioned oxide. The explanation of its presence has 
long ago been given; a portion of the iron, after reduc¬ 
tion, taking up oxygen from the air, while another por¬ 
tion of the oxide may be derived from the incomplete 
decomposition of the ferric oxide. The first occurs when 
the iron has not been sufficiently heated during its re¬ 
duction ; the latter, when the supply of hydrogen has 
been insufficient for perfect reduction. 
To obtain a preparation not disposed to the re-absorp¬ 
tion of oxygen, I conduct the reduction in an iron tube 
of an internal diameter of T4 inch, heated in a small 
Paris muffle to a bright white heat, by means of coke 
and charcoal. Such a furnace, useful also to the gold¬ 
smith, should not be wanting in any pharmaceutical 
laboratory. Connected, by means of a stovepipe, with 
a well-drawing chimney, sufficient heat can be produced 
in this furnace to melt silver and copper. 
To heat tubes, I cut circular holes in opposite sides of 
the furnace, into which holes the tubes are placed after 
