314 Drs. Muspratt and Hofmann on Nitraniline, 



able, lose however by a closer examination a considerable 

 portion of their probability. Independent of the fact that 

 oxide of benzide is merely an hypothetical compound while we 

 know the oxide of ethyle in an isolated state, the behaviour 

 of these two bodies towards potassa is sufficient to show a 

 decided dissimilarity in their constitution. Nitrous ether, 

 like all the other compound ethers, is decomposed by potassa, 

 giving rise to nitrite of potassa and alcohol (Liebig). Nitro* 

 benzole, when similarly treated, yields no acid of nitrogen ; an 

 aqueous solution of potassa leaves this body quite intact, and 

 when employed in alcoholic solution, the latter is oxidized 

 and azobenzole {azobenzide), i. e. nitrobenzole minus oxygen, 

 is formed*. We see here that all analogy between nitrous 

 ether and nitrobenzole disappears entirely. 



Nitrobenzole undergoes still another change, which does 

 not in any way agree with the benzide theory. According to 

 Devillef, this body, when repeatedly treated with fuming ni- 

 tric acid, yields a crystalline substance, to which he has as- 

 signed the name binitrobenzole (binitrobenzide). This body J, 

 according to the theory in question, was considered to be 

 a compound of 2 equivalents of nitrous acid with a higher 

 oxide of benzide, i. e. that its constitution must be according 

 to the formula C ]2 H 5 2 , 2N0 3 . That his view is not tenable, 

 without mentioning other objection's to it, is evident, inas- 

 much as the above formula does not express the composition 

 of the new compound ; for, according to Deville's analysis, 

 we find that instead of five it only contains four equivalents 

 of hydrogen. 



Recently certain French chemists, Laurent, for example, 

 have represented these bodies under a different aspect. A 

 great number of investigations had led to the conclusion that 

 the hydrogen of many compounds may be wholly or partly 

 replaced by a corresponding number of equivalents of chlo- 

 rine and bromine without altering the fundamental properties. 

 This law had been established for a number of acids and in- 

 different bodies, and an investigation published some months 

 since § by one of us has proved that the same law extends 

 also to bodies possessing basic properties, which at first sight 

 appeared improbable. 



The same view may be applied to many products which 

 have assumed nitrogen and oxygen from nitric acid. These 

 compounds may indeed be regarded as simple products of 



* Ann. cler Ckemie unci Pharm., vol. liii. p. 28. 



f Ann. cle Chem. et cle Phys., 3 ser., t. iii. p. 157. 



\ Berzelius, Jahresbericht, 1813. 



§ Phil. Mag., vol. xxvi. p. .385. 



