The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-01-26 00:00:00

his ingenuity : while, as such instances of 'cip
would neither be accidental accompaniments of the plan,
nor of rare and unusual occurrence, but would ra,i,er
constitute its proper, inevitable, and intended fruits, no-
thing more need be added to consign it to the loatuing
of every well-regulated mind.

LIVERPOOL MECHANICS' INSTITUTION.

LECTURES ON CHEMISTRY

On Wednesday se'nnight Dr. Kane delivered his fifth lecture.
We saw, ire the last lecture, that by the direct combination ot
sulphur with oxygen we can only succeed in uniting two equi-
valents of oxygen to one of sulphur; and that this product is
sulphimius acid. When we wish to produce the body which
contains the most oxygen united with sulphur, we are obliged
to have recourse to indirect methods, and to supply the oxygen
from othersourCes than atmospheric airor oxygen in a state of
isolation. The discovery of sulphuric acid belongs to a very
early period of chemistry, but it was then obtained in a manner
so circuitous and exclusive as to prevent its general introduction
into the ens. If we mix with:sulphur a quantity of saltpetre,
and set fire to them under a bell glass, a rapid combustion
ensues, and we find,.as an experimental result, that the.sulphur
is converted into sulphuric, instead of sulphurous acid. In this
.way the manufacture of sulphuric acid wan carriedou formerly;
and when the fumes which arose, were condeused in, the water
at the bottom of the bell, and the solutinu further concentrated by
boiling, an oily-leoking, liquid was obtained, so,oily as, to have
borne in commerce the name of "oil of sulphur, by means of
the bell." After a short time it was found to be identical with
a similar liquid, obtained asoil of vitriol,under which came strong
sulphuric arid is spoken of in commerce., When .we cousider
the circumstances under which the acid is generated, in "his
experiment, we are led to a very simple andapparently plausible
means of. explaining its .action, We conceive.;tbat by the
burning of sulphur in common air we have.sulphurous.acid,
sulphurcoinbined,w.ah two equivalents of oxygen. Now when
we reflect that •there are few, birdies which contain so much
oxygen as saltpetre, or. give it out,so freely, it appears to us very
natural that the additional atom of oxygen . requisite for the.
formation of sulphuric acid. is derived from the saltpet re, .end by
this means. we obtain the combination of sulphuric acid or sul-
phur iu combination with three atoms of oxygen. Such was the
theory to which chemists in the first Instance were led. The
change which scientific opiniun.has undergone as to the forma-,
tion of sulphuric acid deserves to be remembered and carefully
studied, as au-example of the consequences into which we may
be led by listening to an argument which is most frequently..
made use of, that nature is always simple in her operatiorns, and
that when we are capable of seizing upon the principles which
regulat,.s the action of natural.bielies en cacti ether, they are
the simplest that can be imagined, and that bodies always enter
into 'combination on the sen West principles. You wiltsee that
the theory of the formation of sulphuric acid, as previously de-
scribed, is exceediugly quantity of oxygen passes
from one burly to another. Yet we .find that the Instant we
apply ourself to the determination of quantities, it k necessary
to abandon this simple hypothesis, apd altogether to adopt one
of the most complicated but,yet one of the most beatitifultheirries
of combination with which we are acquainted, in order to solve
the pi inciple. There is nothing inure beautiful than the study,
of tklid problem. .Dr. Kane then exhibited an apparatus 'lbis-.
tracing the interthediate phenomena which take place in the
preparatiou.,of sulphuric acid, which are of so traosjtory a na-
ture its to escape observation under ordinary circumstances,, but
.which, by tneaus of the apparatus used by-Dr. Kane were self;
evident. .It consisted of a wouife!ii bottle, with three apertures,
the one in the Middle proceeding from the top. of the battle,.
open to the atmosphere, .and the te.o others in the centre of
the sides of the bottle having the necks of a couple of
rebuts inserted into them. Into. the one retort was poured,
quicksilvecand oil of vitriol; and into the other su,ar and nil l
acid. By applying,a strohe, heat to the first retort, the quiet;,
silver is oxydized, and sulphurous acid flews into the, Woolte's,
bottle. The immediate resultof the admixture of the,hitric acid
with sugar is, that by the application of a gentle,heat, the acid
is deprived ofa certain quautily of oxygen, and,nitrous acid pass-
es into the Wirritfe's bottle,, which, by the addition of the oxygen ,
of the atmospheric air which enters the woolfe's bottle by the
central openink.r, is converted into hypo-nitrous acid. Now let
us consider what takes place under a bell glass in which nitre
add sulphur are inflamed. One part of nitre is used to ten of
sulphur. According to the. old theory, the oxygen, was trans-
ferred Imre the nitre directly to the sulphur. Now, to. form
sulphurous acid, ten parts ot sulphur, unite with ten of oxygen.
'lO pass to the condition of sulphuric acid, half as much, mere
oxygen is required. 'Therefore, ten times as much oxygen is
required to convert the sulphurous acid into. sulphuric acid as,
the nitre introduced contains.. This puts an end to,the theory,
apparently so simple, that the oxygen passes from the nitrean
the sulphur. But what dues take place, the portion pf sulphur
in contact, with the nitre,deflagrates, and, is at once converted
by *cembining. with hxygen to.the state of sulphuric acid. Thia,
sulphuric acid seizes. upon the potash of the nitre, and there are
generated those red Nines which-we get in . this experiment by,
another process. The nitre having been thus recoosiructed,.
the remainder of the sulphur burns as if no nitre. had been pre-
sent at all; but the nitrous acid formed mixes with the sulp(iur-'
ous acid. , If the fumes he dry, there is no actimi.vvhatever. but'
if there be a small quantity of water, theawO gasea react epee
each other, they combine with the, water, and the , result is a
crystallized substance, which is deposited at the bottom of thel
vessel. 'lbis solid, matter, by coming into contact with water,
is decomposed. Let us consider fur a moment the result of the
admixture of the vent' .small quantity of the red fumes with, a
large quantity of sulphurous acid gas. The red fumes must
condense immediately a, small quantity of the sulphurous acid
to forin.a small quantity of solid. matter, whirl). it decomposed
and gives back. the nitric oxide), which, taking a:fiesh supply,'
from the atmospheric air, again seizes upon more sulphurous
acid, is again precipitated; and, it, to practice, this process.
could'he carried on without loss, we should tiud:thet a grain of
ultra ,night, Ity. a .series of successive ,reactions, convert into.
sulphuric acid 101 X) tons of brimstone. The nitre does not
acidify the sulphur by yielding to it its own oxygen, but, by a sort
fu carrying trade, transfers from the atmospheric,air whole car-,
goes of oxygen gas to the sulphurous acid,
,which, by itself,
would be incapable of uniting,with it. We here see the opera-
tion carried en in glass vessels, but practically the operation is
carried on in. a different way. Instead of a bell glass, we have
a great number of leaden chambers, the bidtorn of which con-
taps water. Oil of vitriol cannot he obtained in a coecentrat-

ed form by this process- The concentration is, in the first in-
stance, effected by expelling the superfluous water byrneaus of
a retort of lead. But,as the oil.of viiriol becomes stronger,
,its
boiling point rises until it nearly, reaches the boiling pOint of
lead. -It then becomes necessary to carry on the concentration
to the felt extent in vessels,of glass .or .platinum. The latter, ,
notwithstanding its expense, is vreferred, the breakage of glass,
being so enormous. Ou the Coiuiuent the. su.phu tic acid made{
in thele leaden chambers isspoken of as English sulphuric acid.
Its usual density' is ab0ut.1.845. It has a peculiar oil feel, and
isintensely corrosive. corrosive properties• of -aulOhoric.!
acid, generally speaking' depends upon, the affinity Which it •
possesses for .water. If .a small quantity of thread be placed ,
aroutid a ves,el.containing sulphuric acid so ,as to •press small
pieces of phosphorus ito the surface of the. vessel, the beat
generated by. the -admixture. of the water with the sulphuric
acid will be enough to inflame the phosphorus. Wneu
dies combine with very great energy, the consequence is, the
evolittion of an intense degree of heal. Solidi:l'6c acid is corro-
'sive to organic inciter in eouseqUeuce of its intense affinity •
• for water, as it not merely possesses the character of uniting
with water wherever it timls it, but wherever it marts with a
'body possessing in its composition the constituents of water
—it not only seizes upon .the..water it 'may ,possess already
'formed, but it always breaks up the arrangements or that body
to re-arrange them so that the elements may Combine to form
water.' Thus, if a small quatrtity of sugar be moistened with
water, and a small qUantity of sulphuric acid poured upon it,
the mixture becomes black, and effervesces so violently,' as-to
raise the mass to a considerable height in the vessel containing
it. Sugar is composed of 12 equivalents of carl,on, 1I ui hy-
drogen, and 11 of oxygen, Now as one atom of oxvgen, and
and one of hydrogen will form water, the whole of the oxygen
and hydrogen of the sugar combities• to form water. Sugar
does not contain so much water, but the sulphiiric arid breaks
up the constitution of the sugar, and we can obtain the carbon
perfectly free, as from wood. All organic substances contain
carbon, oxygen and hydrogen, therefore if sulphuric acid is
thrown upon the body ()laity individual, it reacts upon the skin
as upon the sugar to form water, and as sulphuric acid always
causes heat when it unites with water, occasioning the intense
burning feel which accompanies its action. Sulphuric acid has•
been taken as a poison, in which cases the interior of the sto-
mach is converted into a black substance or carbon. The soapy
feel of the sulphuric acid arises from the commencement of the
decomphsition of the skin. Our oil 'of vitriol is called the
English oil of vitriol by the natives of the continent, to distin-
guish it from the German oil of vitriol which is manufactured
in a different manner. Sulphate of iron is put into an earthen-
ware retort, and distilled at a full red heat. The copperas is de-
composed, and oxide of iron remains as a brown powder in the
retort and a thick liquid distils, over which is sulphorir acid of
a dark colour. When exposed to the atmosphere tnis acid
gives out copious white fumes, which the English oil of vitriol
does nut. On this account it is termed fuming sulphuric acid,
or Nordhausen acid, from the town in Hanover in which its
manufacture is carried nn. When this acid is used it gives out
copious white fumes, which is sulphuric acid free from water.
Now this'dry sulphuric acid is volatile, and its vapour is cillonr-
less but it 'has-such a •powerful affinity for water that it . unites

, .
with the -Moisture usually floating' in the atmosphere. Sul-
phuric acid is one of the strongest buses we know of; if a drop
of it be mixed with a large quantity of the infusion of red cab-
bage it changes it to a red colour. The red cabbage. infusion
is one of the most delicate tests for an acid. Tbe .acid. proper-
ties of snlphurie acid may be rendered very evident by taking a
few pieces of well burnt lime and placing them in the neck of a
retort emit Sining some of the German oil of vitriol,• By.a.pply -
ing wheat the dry sulphuric acid will be disengaged, which will
combnie so powerfully- with the lime as to raise it .to a red heat,
and present a combustion as intense as that of lime. and oxygen.
Combustion, in chemistry, is indepenitent of any particular
body; thus, in chemistry, sttlphurie acid, is towards lime, just
as-much a supporter of combustion, as oxygen is to jinn wire or
a candle: Sulphuric acid is characterized for its Affinity. for
of these bases it • forms some compounzls bases, and with sonic
which are sparingly soluble or insoluble in water, which we

make use of as test for the detection of sulphuric acid. .Upon
adding a solution containing barytes, to a solution containing a
few drops of Sulphuric acid, we immediately get a white lire.
cipitate, which is a combination of sulphuric acid with barytes,
and a 'perfectly insoluble salt.- If we take, in the same manner,
a quantity of liquor; -containing some sulphuric acid, and add
to it a solution containing lead, we get a copious while pi eci-
pitate. consisting of a combination of sulphuric acid with oxide
of lead. These tests are both of extreme delicacy, and by
their means, an exceedingly small quantity of sulphuric acid
may be determined.
Sulphur unites with hydrogen in two proportions, one of
which is gasehns -and. the other liquid, the gaseous subsvance is
weH known by the name of sulphuretted .hydrogen, and the
other is the bi sulphuret of hydrogen. We.shall only occupy
ourselves the gas, as the other is of no importance. Sulphur-
stied hydrogen is not an uncommon natural praluction. Am-
monia has been described as the result of the decomposition ul
animal matters. Now there are a great number of animal
matters which not only' contain carbon hydrogen, oxygen and
nitrogen, but also sulphur. One of the most: remarkable in-
stances of this is the yolk of an egg. Sulphur-has the property
of combining with metals and blackening them, this is the rea-
son why our silver spoons are tarnished when employed fur
eating eys. If we leave the yolk of an egg te- itself, aner.the
chick Iragrdied the law of vitality ceases and that of chemistry
comes into its place. Putrifaction ensues and the consequence
is that the sulphur unites with the hydrogen in the .yolk, and
we hate sulphuretted hydrogen, which is the gas to which rotten
eggs are indebted for their disagreeable odour. We can get
sulphuretted hydrogen in a variety of chemical ways, of which
two are interesting. If iron is heated with sulphur, it combines
ith it and forms sulphuret of iron or iron pyrite. When this
is heated with sulphuric acid; decomposition ensues, the oxygen
goes over to the iron and the sulphur unites with the hydrogen
to form sulphuretted hydrogen. 'I 'he other method, is by treat-
ing. sulphuret of antimony with muriatte acid; when the chlorine
will unite with the antimo and the hydrogen. with the sul-
phur. Sulphuretted hydrogen is absorbed by water, ands it is
consequently not collected over water. It dues not differ much
in weight from atmosptielic air, and thetefore cannot be.n.b-
taiued in the manner adapted for sulphureous acid or am=