Mr. W. H. Balmain on JEthogen. 191 



seems to take place as well in tightly corked and filled vessels 

 as in the air. Besides, when alloxantine is oxidized, it yields, 

 not alloxanic acid but alloxan, and there is no base present 

 that might be supposed to give rise to the production of the 

 acid. 



It is possible that this acid may not be really alloxanic 

 acid, although agreeing with it in its reactions. In that case 

 it appears most probable that it may be isomeric with allox- 

 antine, as alloxanic acid is with alloxan. At all events, it is 

 impossible to see how the 1 eq. of hydrogen has been removed, 

 if the acid be really the alloxanic. I am still engaged in re- 

 searches on this part of the subject, the results of which I 

 shall forward to the Society at a future period, along with 

 those of the other investigations briefly described above. The 

 study of the products of the decomposition of uric acid is still 

 very far from being completed, and I hope, at no very distant 

 period, to follow up this paper with another on the same 

 subject. 



XXXII. Additional Observations on Ailtliogen. 

 By W. H. Balmain, Esq.* 

 /^\N proceeding to make some quantitative experiments on 

 ^-^ sethogen, I found, that through depending too much upon 

 simple change of property, I had been misled upon some 

 points ; and I take this, the earliest, opportunity of pointing 

 out in what respects my conclusions were erroneous. 



All the compounds described as aethonides are one and the 

 same substance, a new compound of boron and nitrogen, pro- 

 bably formed by the decomposition of the aethonide of the 

 metal by the nitro-muriatic acid used at the end of the pro- 

 cess. It would appear that there are two compounds of boron 

 and nitrogen ; one, which is not altered by exposure to a 

 white heat, is decomposed by the action of water at ordinary 

 temperatures, and also by the action of nitric acid, and which 

 does not phosphoresce before the blowpipe; and a second, 

 which is not decomposed by any reagents, with the exception 

 of water and oxygen at a high temperature, and which phos- 

 phoresces beautifully before the blowpipe. The first is 

 formed when mellon and boracic acid are heated together 

 and combines with the metals ; the second whenever a com- 

 pound of the first with a metal is decomposed by abstraction 

 of the metal, which is effected with such difficulty, that the 

 traces left induced me to suppose that it was an essential ele- 



* Communicated by the Chemical Society ; having been read November 

 7, 1843. The author's former paper will be found in Phil. Mag. S. 3. 

 vol. xxii. p. 467. 



