POTASSIUM NITKITO-HYDROXIMIDOSULPHATES. 221 



with tlie next crop of the salt itself as to cause its rejection. 

 The presence of sulphite in less quantity in the first crop of 

 crystals will have been masked by the oxidising action of the 

 nitric oxide in becoming nitrous oxide. That sulphite was pre- 

 sent in Kaschig's preparation well accords also Avith the fact that 

 potassium hydroxide added in excess precipitated potassium sul- 

 phite, for, although hydroximidosulphate is itself decomposed by 

 the most concentrated solutions of potassium hydroxide into 

 sulphite and nitrite, this decomposition is slo^v and the sulphite 

 only deposits after some time. Raschig's preparation when dried 

 on a tile was only a powder, that is, presumably, was not ob- 

 viously crystalline, a point which also indicates an impure salt. 

 Since the potassium and sulphur are iu the same ratio in the 

 two salts, quantitative analysis would hardly have made its 

 presence known.'-' Inspection of Raschig's formuhe is of itself 

 sufficient to prevent their getting accepted as in accordance with 

 the facts. For from these formuhe both salts should be strongly 

 alkaline, while in reality one is neutral. Above all it is hardly 

 credible that dissolution in cold water should suffice to cause 

 monosulphonated nitrogen to become disulphonated. 



Raschig held his two salts to be identical with Fremy's 

 potassium sulphazite and sulphazate respectively ; but the nature 

 of Fremy's salts will be found, we believe, more precisely given 

 in the paper following this. The point we would here insist 

 upon is that Raschig's preparations, judged by their chemical 

 behaviour, have no claim to be considered as dihydroxy lamine 

 derivatives, being in every way indistinguishable from synthe- 



*0f the 3KN0„ of our formula (p. 218) only one mol. can give nitric oxide and only 

 to the extent of two-thirds of its nitrogen ; the other tliird becoming nitric acid. Kaschig's 

 analysis indicates the presence of only .S/4 mol. active nitrite. Tlie quantity of iiydrated 

 sulphite required to be present is therefore only 5.2 per cent, of the mixed salts. 



