NEF. — NITROPARAFFINE SALTS. 137 



The following very simple reaction therefore takes place in the 

 formation of mercuric fulminate from sodic nitromethane : 



C : NONa + hgCl = C : NOhg + NaCl = C : NOhg + HgO + NaCl. 

 Ha II U, II 



o o 



It follows clearly, however, that the mercury salt of nitromethane, 



H^C : N-Ohg, 



' II 

 O 



formed as the intermediate product, must be a strong oxidizing agent, 

 which at first, for want of anything else present, acts on itself, form- 

 ing by intra-molecular oxidation fulminate of mercury, C : NOhg. 

 Since, however, the fulminate of mercury thus formed, in consequence 

 of its containing unsaturated or bivalent carbon, possesses an enor- 

 mous reactivity (see following paper) and can therefore most readily 

 take up oxygen, (this explains the reducing action of carbon monoxide, 

 C : O, of cyanide of potash, KN : C, as well as of the fulminates, 

 C : NOM,) It follows very clearly that the strong oxidizing agent 

 present, mercury nitromethane, 



H2C : N-Ohg, 

 II 

 O 



can act also on the mercury fulminate formed (in the nascent state), 

 converting it into mercuric carbondioxidoxirae, O : C : NOhg, whereby 

 the mercuric nitromethane itself is reduced to mercuric formoxime, 



/H2C : NOhg \ 



CH2 : NOhg ( II = CH2 : NOhg + O j . 



This explanation suffices completely in clearing up the nature of 

 all the products which are formed by the interaction of sodic nitro- 

 methane and mercuric chloride. The yellow salt obtained by V. Meyer 



