ON  A  NEW  SULPHIDE  OF  CARBON. 
447 
odor  resembling  that  of  stearine,  and  its  taste  is  slightly  aroma- 
tic. It  distils  unchanged,  the  melting  point  before  and  after 
distillation  being  the  same,  namely,  80^  C,  and  its  solidifying 
point  78Q  C.  An  alcoholic  solution  of  the  stearopten  added  to 
alcoholic  solutions  of  nitrate  of  silver  and  acetate  of  lead,  even 
on  the  addition  of  ammonia,  gave  no  precipitate — nitric  acid 
converts  the  stearopten  into  oxalic  acid. 
In  my  former  notice  of  Xanthoxylin,  which,  from  the  very 
small  quantity  at  my  command,  I  had  endeavored  to  purify  from 
adhering  resin  by  washing  it  with  ammonia,  I  found  a  minute 
trace  of  nitrogen,  no  doubt  arising  from  the  small  quantity  of 
ammonia  adhering  to  the  crystals. 
When  Xanthoxylin  is  perfectly  pure,  however,  it  is  entirely 
devoid  of  nitrogen. — Pharm.  Joum.,  July  1,  1857. 
ON  A  NEW  SULPHIDE  OF  CARBON  (OS). 
By  M.  E.  Baudbimont. 
As  yet  only  one  sulphide  of  carbon  is  known  to  exist,  namely^ 
CS2,  corresponding  to  carbonic  acid  C02.  A  protosulphide  CS 
corresponding  to  carbonic  oxide  CO  has  never  been  obtained. 
It  is  the  discovery  of  this  compound  which  I  have  the  honor 
of  announcing  to  the  Academy,  and  which  has  occupied  me  for 
several  months.  I  propose  at  present  to  briefly  indicate  the 
the  preparation  and  analysis  of  this  new  body,  with  some  of  its 
properties,  and  to  reserve  for  a  future  occasion  the  complete  ac- 
count of  its  investigation. 
Protosulphide  of  carbon  may  be  obtained  by  the  following 
processesses : — 
1st.  By  decomposing  the  vapor  of  ordinary  bisulphide  of  car- 
bon with  spongy  platinum,  or  with  pumicestone  heated  to  red- 
ness ;  under  these  circumstances  the  bisulphide  is  decomposed, 
an  abundant  deposit  of  sulphur  takes  place,  which  often  chokes  up 
the  tube,  and  a  gaseous  body  is  formed,  which  is  the  proto- 
sulphide of  carbon  CS.  This  well-defined  reaction  is  sufficiently 
explicit. 
2nd.  It  is  obtained  simultaneously  with  the  bisulphide  when 
that  body  is  prepared  by  the  ordinary  method. 
