290 E. DIVERS AND T. HAGA : 



Other results, gave also the equation — NaN02+2NaHSOo= 

 Na2HNS207 + NaHO, Finding also, and again in agreement with 

 Oaus, that dipotassium liydroximidosulphate does not combine 

 at once or even at all with potassium hydroxide, he argued that 

 this salt cannot have a similar constitution to that of Fremy's 



* basic ' sulphazotate because potassium hydroxide is produced 

 along with it instead of being combined with it as Fremy's 



* basic ' sulphazotate. 



Now, all this is wrong in fact on the part both of Claus 

 and Kaschig, as we have already shown (this Journal 7, 30) 

 or here show in other sections of the present paper, except as to 

 the generation of alkali hydroxide, which we now proceed to 

 deal with. Claus's emphatic statement, supported as it is by 

 Berglund and by Kaschig, that potassium hydroxide is formed 

 when a sulphite meets a nitrite in solution, rests upon no other 

 evidence than what we now set down in full, recalling the fact 

 (section I, a.) that between the normal sulphite and nitrite there 

 is really no activity of any kind. A solution of sulphite made 

 neutral to litmus and a solution of nitrite of either potassium or 

 sodium become hot and strongly alkaline to litmus when mixed 

 together, and then contain much liydroximidosulphate and nitrilo- 

 sulphate, both neutral to litmus, which soon crystallise out if 

 they are the potassium salts. That is all these chemists had as 

 evidence for the production of the hydroxide ; let us add to these 

 facts that addition of excess of barium chloride removes all the 

 alkalinity. It follows, since pyrosulphites are a little acid to 

 litmus and normal sulphites are very alkaline to it, that the 

 phenomena depended upon offer no grounds whatever for the 

 l)elief that alkali hydroxide is produced. Except by the use of 

 lime, baryta, or other base, there is, we believe, only one way by 



