SULPHUR, or Brimstone, is a solid ele mentary non-metallic body, which has been known from the remotest antiquity. It is met with pure, and in various states of combina tion. Sulphur, both crystallised and massive, occurs in beds and veins in Swabia, Hungary, and Switzerland. Volcanic sulphur is found in immense quantities in Italy and Sicily. The volcanic sulphur brought to this country is purified for use. 'What is called refined sulphur is purified by distillation in a large cast-iron still, and it is condensed in an iron receiver kept cool by water ; when melted and cast into wooden mould's, it is tailed roll or stick sulphur; and when the vaporised sulphur is condensed in a large chamber, it has the form of powder, and is called sublimed sulphur, or /lowers of sulphur.
Sulphur is of a bright yellow colour, resin ous lustre, slight odour, and nearly opaque. It is insoluble in water, but dissolves in alcohol and in boiling oil of turpentine. It is very volatile. When sulphur is heated it begins to vaporise before it fuses : at 555° to 600° It is rapidly volatilised, and in close vessels is condensed without change. Some metals when heated in it burn vividly. The fusing point of sulphur is 232°, and between this and 280° it possesses the highest degree of fluidity : at 320° it begins to thicken, and at 482° is so tenacious that it will not flow from an inverted vessel : from this to 600°, which is its boiling point, it again becomes liquid, but not so perfectly so as at 280°; when boiled in close vessels, an orange.coloured vapour is formed. When poured into water in a fluid state, at about the temperature of it be comes a brown pasty mass, which readily receives and retains any form given to it, and hence it is employed in taking casts.
The compounds of sulphur with alit bodies are of almost incalculable importancL With oxygen it forms sulphurous add gas, which has powerful bleaching properties. With a further portion of oxygen, it forms sulphuric acid, so largely employed in the manufacturing arts. With hydrogen it forms sulphuretted hydrogen gas, the powerful constituent of Har rogate and other mineral waters. When sul phur has been brought to the state of sul phuric acid by combining with oxygen, it becomes still more valuable than in any of the above named forms ; for it then consti tutes the well-known sulphates, by combining with various oxides ; we thus have the sulphates of soda, potash, ammonia, iron, copper, barytes, lime, magnesia, &e., the
practical uses of which are so numerous.
Sulphur Trade.—Although sulphur exists in Iceland, Teneriffe, St. Vincent's, and some other places, the expense of obtaining it is so great, that Sicily alone has furnished the sup ply required. From 1833 to 1838 England took 49 per cent. of the whole quantity of sul phur exported from Sicily, and France 43 per cent., leaving only 8 per cent. for all °Ulu countries; and part of this was shipped for Malta, and eventually reached England. The Sicilian sulphur mines are the property of individuals, and from fifteen to twenty English firms settled in Sicily are engaged in the trade. In 1836 M. Taix, a Frenchman, laid before the Sicilian government a project for establishing a company which was to have the exclusive right during ten years of purchasing Sicilian sulphur at fixed prices, on condition of spending 10,0001. a year in constructing roads, and exporting one-third of the quantity produced in Sicilian vessels. The British merchants becoming alarmed, the Sicilian government, in reply to the British ambas sador, stated that no such project would be adopted. It would have been in direct con travention to certain commercial treaties be tween the two governments. The Sicilian government did, however, enter into a con tract with M. Taix, and on the 4th of July, 1838, notice was given at Palermo that the monopoly would come into operation on the 1st of August ensuing. The negotiations respecting this monopoly were conducted with great secrecy, and it came into operation so suddenly, that twenty-four vessels lost their cargoes. The British lessees of mines, and all others, were compelled to produce only a fixed quantity of sulphur; prices rose more than twofold, contracts could not be completed, the supply became inadequate to the English demand, and other quarters were looked to for a supply. At length the British govern ment took very decided steps to put an end to a monopoly established in the face of com mercial treaties ; and the trade was then restored to its former footing.
The imports of sulphur during the last three years have been as followt :— 1848 668,392 cwts.
1849 845,388 „ 1850 604,630 „