Decomposition of Hydroxyamidosulphates by 

 Copper Sulphate. 



By 



Edward Divers, M. D., D. Sc, F. R. S., Emeritus Prof., 



and 



Tamemasa Haga, D. Sc, F. C. S., 



Professor, Tokyo Imperial University. 



When copper sulphate is added to a sokitioii of a hydroxy- 

 amidosulphate and tlie mixture heated, the acid of the salt is 

 quickly decomposed into water, sulphur dioxide, sulphuric acid, 

 amidosulphuric acid and nitrous oxide, with, possibly a little 

 nitrogen. By itself, a heated solution of an alkali hydroxy- 

 amidosulphate is in a state of very unstable equilibrium, generally 

 hydrolysing into a solution of hydroxylamine acid sulphate, 

 and always doing so in presence of a trace of acid, whilst in 

 presence of even a trace of alkali it slowly passes into sul- 

 phite and hyponitrite (this Journ, 3, 219). In the cold wâth 

 alkali and copper salt, the hydroxyamidosulphate becomes 

 oxidised at once to sulphite, sulphate, nitrous oxide, and water 

 with reduction of the cupric hydroxide {op. cit., 225), and when 

 heated with cupric chloride it reduces the latter to cuprous 



