Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1856-01-09
D 0riginOI Papers. s.
Written for the Spirit Of the Age.
FAMILIAR CHEMICAL LETTERS
nsprCT n -


'E,pEeih rr DEDICATED TO MISS LAURA MURPHY
Having examined the chemistry or hydro
gen and Nitrogen with their compounds. we
now, according to arrangement. proceed to
ne investigation &c sulphur and it's cnmhina-
uons, with those substances we have already
.ahied. Sulphur. or birthstone. is simple
rNshustihle solid Of brit le texture and n
-s,,s y"'hs color. s9mewhat translucent. in
and 3nodro,S. except when heated -
g0fhpTT5 tdinf. 1t was u>et hv the ar
/r0b ~ mediriTr, and also for bleaching
NW"L Itsspeci6c gravity is about 2 o.
Aaiemrernture Of 226o f.. it melts into n
,"i huNl; hut when hrnted to 560o. it takes
nrand burns away with dull blue fame
Wisutwntng odor, and when pure. leaves |
r'Sialne. Sulphur is chiefly mineral
Frluct. and Is very nhunhlut: existing !
snetimea pure ur merely mixa,i aud 1T 9th
e' N tntimute chemical combination with
h' metals ~ sulphuteS or sulphurrts ~ for
mtaner. the snlphurat &c iron aud suphntn
@cpper. Native sulphur is almost entirely
Wuglt frnm Sicily where it occurs IN beds
"a hlue clay formation. extending through
he cenfral half of the soutk coast of the is
md, and stretching inw&td ~ far Ms the
istret nf Etha. DR.. DAuhprv. who has late
exnmined this blue clay formation rnnsi
i"rs it of'the Stme age with the gypsum he'd
{ Parir. and therefore. more recent than
halknmiPhe supply OF sulphur derived from
|Hsn"rmuus the amount antunlly ex-
nrted 10 Eugland alone is between lG and
2 th0nsand tons, ut from $50 to so per ton.
trsa works have lately been erected ut
larseilles IL Frame. Tor the purpose of re-
ming this crude sulphur This is dome hy
ielting the ulphur IN retorts, converting it
that pr"c - into vnpnrs. which are ron.
uGted into large chamber fer condnnsa-
on. A. Box, in Switznrltnh, sui lphur is
1uud IN the gypsum of the salt dopositp. In
,uniia nnd near Srhcmnity, in Hungary. it
found in veins through granite aud mica
late and also in some rocks in Quito in
'eru. IL also occurs in (oetid limestone near
i,braltar, bnt the largest deposits Of sulphur
~ found in thc f.sures mr lava near vnlran-
c crapsrs. As ~ instance of this, we have
ho plldn of Shfttara near Naples and the
plains "a the volcanic districts in Iceland
sulphur is found abundautly cnmhinrd with
prtain metals, and from these, owing tn the
igh price Of tive Scian sulphur, sulphuric
Md is bow made in large quantities but
Ms acl mauuliGturcd from these minerals
tntaiutgeHertlly lHrg" quantity of arsenic,
anil isfhcrrtnre unit for many purposes III
the AflA. The principal uses of sulphur are
y L'aA lunnuf,cturo Of matches, Yermilnn
Or cinrahtr, gunpbwdrr, aui SuiphOrtc rcirI
Siphur i usually met with in three forms
namely. |. Massive or native sulphur; 2
stick ~ roll sulphur, which is Grade sul phu,
purified hy fusion, md cast into sticks 3
sublime or flowers ufsulphur, which is pro
cured by conlrusins the vapor of sui phu
rapidly ia rapaciaus receivers. For som
phnrItgeutral purposes, ulphur IL precipi
tated trum an alkaline solution 10y nm ncd
and when washed and dried, is of yellow
ish grey imptpthle powder, known 10y til
name of the milk of sulphur. AS n test f,
the parity NJ sulphur, that substance odgI
to he entirely disSpatod, when heated graC
ually on pirce Of platinum leaf. II shoul
also he entirely soluble in boiling oil uf tnr
psntne. The usual Impurities Of sui phu
are carhonate and sulphate uf zinc, oxide an
sulphuret If iron, snIphuret of arsenic an
silica, AMI all these remain unaffected by ii
oil. We now come to the consideration
sulphur with oxygen.
OF these. two only require our particuli
notice. These are sulphurous and sulphur
acids The former Of these acids was fir
examined by Stahl, whn called it phogisi
Gated suiphuric acid. Scheele, in liza poi
tel out metbol uf obtaining it, and durir
the same year Pricstly aScertainrd it's lea
ing properties B,rtholet examined it
1872, but lis atomic composition was fir
accurately inyrsti gated by Davy, by Gi
Lussac, and hy Bprzrlius. At common ter
perature and preSSurrS. this nrd is n gasro-
body. Ii may he obtained directly by hur
ing sulphur IN oxygen gas, or Indirectly
heating IN - rotort mixture Of i've parts
black oxide of mrrgnursr. and one nf st
nhur. TIE srp.ii' gravity nf Suphurn
acid "a. Is 22lS. ani 100 runc inch
weigh 6S.I7 grains. Sulphurous acid is y
of tho most easily coudrnsihIe of gases.
Was found 10y Mnnge and Cluuet, that Il
gna assumed liquid torm when under
pressure ol tNn Atmosphere. (3O lbs. On t
snuare iuril and reduced IT, the ficczi
mint. In this stute IL j. limpid liquid
n specifc gravy Of i5 Sulphurons II,
,ns has n very sulFrr,,ing odor. and is y,
orally - n"r.supporier ct combustion, ext
20. .6iu,.. must r,mhu~tihlrs when INNER,
into il IN IN I.ilamrd state, aud Tor this r
son il has been used t. extinguiSh fires
chimneys, ~ hv throwing II handful Of 5
nhur into tn' iw~ ,hurnus acid is furm
and this ascending the chimney, cxtingui
es the flame. Upon SOME c"loring matt
This gas has little action, aud when it d
destroy color. the original tint may genera
lie restured ly u stronger acid. \ red r'
for instance, is hlparhod by snluti VI of
phurrus acid, but it's original color is res
ed w diluted sulphurie acid. Sulphur
ncid is very soluble both in water and u
hal. one volume nf rha former absorbing
and ono of the latter 100 vnlumeS of ths
ynpnr haths in which sulphurnuS acid
with and without steam is applied ."
surface &c the hnly have hnen rrsortrd 4
the treatment or certain cutaneou~ disea
and in rheumatic and other painful c
plants.
We now come to the study of Snlp pin
acl or rs IL is iaurr commonly called, q
vitrol. This important acid, the agen
many chemical operations. was formerly
tnined Ly the di,t'ln'irn Of sulphate of
called also green yHrOi. for which reason
corrosive liquid which distilled over ha
nm oils cunsi,tence, was deuomnated 0
uityioL But now this acid il almost eA
sivcly prorured in this country, Great
min and France, ly the combustion of sui
with ni,re in the proper ions Of eight nf
former and one of the batter but as the
mer process is still carried on at Blpl
Bohemia. and Nordhausen in Saxony
~ " gives rise ~ sonr interesting res al
shall des,rhr it hritny. Iutn n long
Znutal furnace" n series uf pavthrnware
tnrts Is arranged with curved nrrks.
into stpupwnrr BATTLES Hr t.uul.'-rf..
rrjott Is ctarGll with su'phate ~ iron.
yiVusly dried. Tie frst p,oduct Of die