416 
ON  A  NEW  SULPHIDE  OF  CARBON. 
substance  is  separated  which  aggregates  to  a  rough  resin,  while 
much  sulphuretted  hydrogen  is  given  off.  The  resinous  mass  is 
to  be  washed  continuously  with  hot  water  as  long  as  it  smells  of 
sulphuretted  hydrogen.  On  cooling  it  becomes  brittle,  and  then 
yields  a  violet-brown  glistening  powder  which  may  be  purified  by 
solution  in  bisulphid  of  carbon,  filtration  and  evaporation.  The 
new  sulphid  is  but  slightly  soluble  in  alcohol  and  ether,  but  is 
readily  soluble  in  bisulphide  of  carbon  with  a  red  color.  It  dis- 
solves in  the  pure  alkalies,  as  well  as  their  carbonates,  with  par- 
tial decomposition,  but  appears  to  be  taken  up  by  alkaline  sul- 
phides without  alteration.  Concentrated  sulphuric  acid  dissolves 
it  with  a  red  color,  and  water  precipitates  it  from  this  solution. 
Nitric  acid  of  1*5  attacks  it  violently  and  appears  to  form  a  new 
acid.  Heated  in  a  closed  tube  to  100°,  the  new  sulphide  melts  to 
a  tough  resin,  and  remains  in  this  state  after  the  temperature 
rises  to  150°.  Sulphuretted  hydrogen  is  then  given  off.  At 
200°  an  amorphous  yellow  body  sublimes,  and  on  further  heating 
'much  voluminous  carbon  remains.  Analysis  gave  for  the  new 
body  the  formula  C2S3  H.  The  author  explains  its  formation  by 
the  following  equations. 
I.  2C2  S4+NaHg==2  Na  C2  +  NaS.  Hgs. 
II.  2NaC2S3+NaS.  HgS+HS 
=2NaC2Ss  +  NaS.  HS+HgS 
III.  2NaC2S3  +  NaS.  HS+3HC1 
=3NaCl+2HS+HC2S3. 
Low  regards  the  body  C2  S3  as  a  radical  analogous  to  cyano- 
gen or  methyl.  The  compounds  of  this  radical  with  the  alkaline 
metals  are  dark  red  to  black  and  easily  soluble  in  water  ;  those 
with  the  heavy  metals  are  brown  or  black  precipitates. — Drug- 
gists' Circular,  June,  1866,  from  Wittsteins  Vierteljaliresbericht, 
1865,  vol.  14,  p.  483. 
