92 



E. DIVERS AND T. HAGA. 



aqueous solution becomes strongly alkaline to litmus, Phenolphthalein, 

 or rosolic acid, soon after alcohol is added to it. No effervescence on 

 standings otherwise a marked phenomenon, is then observable, and the 

 disappearance of the salt is greatly retarded, probably as an effect of 

 the alkalinity induced in the Solution, possibly also through presence 

 of the alcohol itself. Neither sulphite, nitrite, nor oximidosulphonate 

 is produced. 



Both Pelouze and Hantzsch describe potassium nitrososulphate as 

 being perfectly neutral to litmus. In this we differ from them. It 

 is so towards Phenolphthalein and to rosolic acid, but to litmus, 

 almost upon first contact with it, the moist salt is alkaline, and so 

 also is its dilute solution in a few seconds. The salt tested by us had, 

 in one case, been four times recrystallised from pure water. Besides, 

 when the salt, which had proved itself of alkaline reaction, had all 

 decomposed, slowly in the cold, or more quickly at a boiling heat, or 

 in the cold by contact with spongy platinum, the product was always 

 quite neutral potassium sulphate, thus showing the absence of alkaline 

 impurity in the original salt. 



The knowledge of the constitution of the nitrososulphates seems 

 to stand just where it did ten years ago, when we were led to see in 

 these salts the presence of the radical — S0 2 OK, a view which has met 

 with general recognition since, except for some hesitation about it on 

 the part of Michaelis (Graham- Otto' s Anorg. Clicm., 4, 1515). Raschig 

 in adopting it, two years later, fully stated that it was ours, but 

 Hantzsch, in referring to Raschig's views and retaining only that part 

 of his formula, has overlooked that fact. In proposing at that time, a 

 new formula for these salts, we did not venture to resolve the nitroxy- 

 radical, and wrote K(N 2 0._,)SO ;i lv, just as Traube is temporarily doing 

 with his isonitramines. At the present time, we are disposed to adopt, 

 as the legitimate outcome of the reduction of these salts into hyponi- 



