JQ4 DIVERS AND HAGl. 



Sodium hydroxide precipitates mercuric oxide from the pure salt, 

 hut not in the presence of sodium imidosuJphonate, and under any 

 circumstances the precipitation of the mercury is far from complete. 

 According to Raschig, Berglund foimd that mercuric di])otassium 

 imidosiilphonate gives no precipitate with potassium hydroxide, hut 

 we find that, in this res|)ect, the ])otassium salt behaves like the sodium 

 salt, except that the precipitation is perhaps less. Dilution lessens 

 precipitation (see behaviour of mercuric oxide with trisodiiim imido- 

 sulphonate, p. 73). 



Anmionia gives a white precipitate. So, too, does amnioniiun 

 chloride, whir]i in this case is probably amidomercuric cliloride. 

 Mercuric oxide dissolves slightly in solution of the mercury sodium 

 salt, rendering it alkaline. Nitric acid and, still more so, hydr(3- 

 chloric acid dissolve the salt freely. Nitric acid does ncit immediately 

 decom]3ose it ap])arently, but the action of hydrochlorie acid effects 

 the complete decomposition of the salt. If the (juantity of this 

 acid is insufficient for the whole of the salt, its action is confined 

 to its equivalent quantity, the rest of the salt being left undissolved, 

 and no preferential replacement of the sodium or the mercury Ijy 

 hydrogen taking ])lace. By extraction with ether, by evaj »oration, 

 and by other tests, the change effected has been ascertained to be the 

 formation of mercuric sodium chloride, sodium acid sulpliate, and 

 amidosulphonic acid. 



Analysis has given the following results : — 



HgN2(S08Na)„(OH2)e Found. 



Mercury 2&74 27-16 



Sodium 12-3() 12-35 



Sulphur 17-11 17.19 



Nitrogen 3*74 3-9â 



Water 14-44 13- Ifjj^'^^ ^""'^ '" '""■ 



