498 DIVEES AND HAGA : DECOMPOSITION OF 



chloride, becoming itself converted into sulphur dioxide, sulphate, 

 nitrous oxide, and water. Mercuric nitrate oxidises hydroxy- 

 amidosulphate more completely, but ferric chloride seems to act 

 like copper sulphate, and liberates sulphur dioxide. 



An alkali hydroximidosulphate is also decomposed by copper 

 sulphate, but not so easily, for it can be beated with it at 100° 

 for a short time without change, and only decomposes (but 

 then suddenly) some degrees above that temperature, yielding 

 the products which a hydroxyamidosulphate gives, together with 

 sulphuric acid from its hydrolysis into that salt. 



Although the presence of much sulphuric acid prevents the 

 action of copper sulphate on a hydroxyamidosulphate, the acid 

 in moderate excess has but little effect. 



Sodium hydroximidosulphate, if kept with care, decomposes 

 only very slowly in a way which has hitherto been obscure 

 (this Journ, 7, 45), but if considered in connection with the 

 action of copper sulphate it may be regarded as essentially the 

 same as that brought about by heating it in solution with that 

 salt. For, the decomposed hydroximidosulphate contains, besides 

 acid sulphate and hydroxyamidosulphate, both a little gas 

 (nitrous oxide or nitrogen) shut up in its pores which escapes 

 when the mass is dissolved in water, and also a little amido- 

 sulphate, which can be separated from the other salts by pre- 

 cipitation with mercuric nitrate (this Journ., 9, 242, also 229, 

 230). 



The decomposition of hydroxyamidosulphates by copper 

 sulphate is also in evident relation with the gradual decomposi- 

 tion of impure hydroxylamine hydrochloride, particularly when 

 ferric chloride is among the impurities, water, nitrous oxide and 



