DR. H. DEBUS ON THE CHEMICAL THEORY OE GUNPOWDER. 
557 
was exposed in a porcelain crucible for half an hour to a temperature approaching 
white heat. The contents of the crucible dissolved completely in water, forming a 
deep yellow solution. 
20 cub. centims. of this solution acidulated with hydric chloride, gave a copious 
precipitate of sulphur, and the filtrate of this precipitate left, after evaporation and 
treatment with hydric sulphate, 2'943 grms. of potassic sulphate. The potassium of 
1*960 grms. potassic sulphate 
0779 „ ,, carbonate 
of the salts originally taken, is, accordingly, present in 20 cub. centims. of the 
solution. 
20 cub. centims. of the same solution gave by the usual method 1*038 grms. of 
baric sulphate, corresponding to 0775 grm. of potassic sulphate. 
19‘2 8 cub. centims. of the same solution placed for some days in contact with 
5 grms. of cupric oxide and the carbonic acid in the liquid determined according to 
Bunsen’s method gave 0'37 grm. of this substance, which corresponds to 1*203 grms. 
of potassic carbonate in 20 cub. centims. of the solution. 
1*96 grms. of potassic sulphate originally taken contain 0*36 grm. of sulphur. 
0*775 „ ,, ,, found in 20 cub. centims. contains 0*142 grm. of sulphur. 
Sulphur in potassic sulphide=0*218 grm. 
20 cub. centims. of the solution contain 1*318 grms. of potassium. 
1*203 grms. of potassic carbonate contain 0*680 grm. of potassium, and 0*775 grm. 
of potassic sulphate 0*347 grm. of potassium; the difference of 0*291 grm. represents 
the potassium in potassic sulphide. 
Hence the potassic sulphide produced by the action of the carbon of the charcoal 
upon the mixture of potassic sulphate and carbonate contains : 
Grm. 
Potassium. 0*291 
Sulphur.. 0*218 
0*509 
and the composition of the salts in 20 cub. centims. 
of the solution of the fused 
mass is : 
Potassic sulphate. 
,, carbonate 
„ sulphide. 
Found. 
Taken. 
0775 
1*960 
1*203 
0*779 
0*509 
0*000 
The composition of the potassic sulphide can be represented by the symbols 
•K-2^1-82 
