320 
SELECTED ARTICLES. 
effect upon test paper. It is little soluble in water but com- 
municates in a high degree to this menstruum its taste and 
smell. It mixes in all proportions with alcohol and the 
ethers. It burns with a blue flame, disengaging sulphurous 
acid. On exposure to the air no alteration takes place. If mix- 
ed with an aqueous solution of potassa and heated to ebullition, 
it is not decomposed, while if distilled with the hydrate of 
potassa in powder, the sulphuret of potassium and alcohol are 
obtained, but decomposition in this way does not take place 
readily, and a large quantity of undecomposed ether is disen- 
gaged. Potassium decomposes it at a moderate heat, but soon 
ceases to act, in consequence of the metal becoming encrusted 
with the sulphuret of potassium and preventing any further 
action; there is no evolution of hydrogen during this decom- 
position. 
Hydrosulphuric ether exhibits no action upon the deutoxide 
of mercury, and in this is very distinct from mercaptan, as 
would be predicted. It, however, precipitates several heavy 
metallic salts, especially an alcoholic solution of acetate of 
lead, which is thrown down of a yellow colour. Mixed with 
a concentrated alcoholic solution of sulphuret of potassium, a 
white substance is precipitated resembling the mercapturet of 
potassium of Zeise. 
This ether, very probably, can also be prepared by submit- 
ting to distillation a well mixed combination of sulphuret of 
potassium and dry sulphovinate of baryta; the distilled liquid 
obtained in this way, at least presents all the properties of the 
ether described. The contact of water in this preparation must 
be equally avoided. M. Lowig promises to publish hereafter 
the analysis of hydrosulphuric ether, as well as its specific 
weight, point of ebullition, and many other of its properties. 
The author has obtained the hydroselenic ether in very 
small quantity, and consequently has little to say of its pro- 
perties. Its smell is as disagreeable as that of hydrosulphuric 
ether, it burns with the deposition of silenium and diffuses the 
smell of horse-radish; in other respects it resembles hydro- 
sulphuric ether. 
