placed over sulphuric acid in an exhausted receiver. In some hours it had by concentration become a soft white solid, apparently dry; and after a longer period was hard and brittle. In this state it was deliquescent in the air, but in close vessels underwent no change in several months. Its taste was bitter, acid, and accompanied by an after metallic flavour, like that of cupreous salts. When heated in a tube at temperatures below 212°, it melted without any other change, and on being allowed to cool, crystallized from centres, the whole ultimately becoming solid. When more highly heated, water at first passed off and the acid assumed a slight red tint; but no sulphurous acid was as yet produced, nor any charring occasioned; and a portion being dissolved and tested by muriate of baryta, gave but a very minute trace of free sulphuric acid. In this state it was probably anhydrous. Further heat caused a little naphtha line to rise, the red colour became deep brown, and then a sudden action commenced at the bottom of the tube, which spread over the whole, and the acid became black and opake. Continuing the heat, naphtha line, sulphurous acid, and charcoal were evolved; but even after some time, the residuum examined by water and carbonate of baryta was found to contain a portion of the peculiar acid undecomposed, unless the temperature had been raised to redness.
These facts establish the peculiarity of this acid, and distinguish it from all others. In its solid state it is generally a hydrate containing much combustible matter. It is readily soluble in water and alcohol, and its solution forms neutral salts with bases, all of which are soluble in water, most of them in alcohol, and all combustible, leaving sulphates or sulphuret according to circumstances. It dissolves in naphtha line, oil of turpentine, and olive oil, in greater or smaller quantities, according as it contains less or more water. As a hydrate, when it is almost insoluble in naphtha line, it resembles the heavier substance obtained as before described, by the action of sulphuric acid on naphthaline, and which is the solid hydrated acid, containing a little naphthaline and some free sulphuric acid, whilst the lighter substance is a solution of the dry acid in naphtha line; the water present in the oil of vitriol originally used being sufficient to cause a separation of a part, but not of the whole.
