448  ON  A  NEW  SULPHIDE  OF  CARBON. 
3rd.  By  decomposing  the  vapor  of  CS2  at  a  red  heat  with  pure 
lampblack  or  wood  charcoal,  but  especially  with  fragments  of 
animal  charcoal. 
4th.  By  decomposing  the  vapor  of  the  bisulphide  with  hydro- 
gen at  a  red  heat. 
5th.  By  calcining  sulphide  of  antimony  with  an  excess  of 
charcoal. 
6th.  By  the  reaction  of  carbonic  oxide  upon  sulphuretted  hy- 
drogen at  a  red  heat. 
CO+HS=HO+CS. 
7th.  By  the  reaction  of  sulphurous  acid  upon  carburetted 
hydrogen  at  a  red  heat. 
8th.  By  the  reaction  of  carbide  of  hydrogen  with  chloride  of 
sulphur  at  a  red  heat. 
9th.  It  is  produced  during  the  decomposition  of  sulphocy- 
anogen  by  heat,  &c. 
The  first  process  yields  the  gas  in  a  state  of  purity ;  but  when 
obtained  by  other  methods,  it  is  contaminated  with  sulphide  of 
hydrogen  or  carbonic  oxide.  It  may,  however,  be  purified  from 
these  by  being  rapidly  passed  through  a  solution  of  acetate  of 
lead,  chloride  of  copper  dissolved  in  hydrochloric  acid,  and  then 
drying  the  gas  collected  over  mercury. 
This  body  is  gaseous,  colorless  and  possesses  an  odor  remind- 
ing one  of  ordinary  sulphide  of  carbon,  but  not  disagreeable, 
and  strongly  ethereal.  Respired  in  any  large  quantity,  it 
appears  to  be  powerfully  anaesthetic.  It  burns  with  a  bright 
blue  flame,  producing  carbonic  acid  and  sulphurous  acid.  It 
resists  the  cold  produced  by  a  mixture  of  ice  and  salt.  Water 
dissolves  about  its  own  volume  of  it,  but  the  solution  rapidly 
decomposes  into  sulphuretted  hydrogen  and  carbonic  oxide. 
HO+CS==CO+HS. 
It  is  not  more  soluble  in  alcohol  or  ether. 
The  solution  of  chloride  of  copper  does  not  absorb  it.  Solu- 
tion of  acetate  of  lead  is  not  effected  immediately,  but,  after 
some  hours'  contact,  the  liquor  blackens,  and  the  salt  is  com- 
pletely transformed  into  carbonic  oxide  and  sulphide  of  lead. 
In  contact  with  solutions  of  the  alkalies,  potash,  soda,  &c,  it  is 
rapidly  decomposed.  With  lime  water,  for  example,  the  reaction 
gives  sulphide  of  calcium  and  a  volume  of  carbonic  oxide,  equal 
