222 E - DIVERS AXD T. HAG A 



amounting to 40 % of the full yield, had nil the nitrite been 

 utilised ; 



0.5833 grain .sodium nitrite,* by final cold treatment for twelve 

 days with the potash, when still a little undecomposed salt remain- 

 ed, gave a yield of hyponi tri te equivalent to 33 i "/„ of the nitrite; 

 0.417.1 gram sodium nitrite* by final first cold treatment for 

 twenty-one hours and then at 100° for a quarter-hour yielded 

 hyponitrite amounting to 49 ^ "/„ of the calculated quantity. 



But in order to get such results as these, referred to the nitrite 

 taken, our modification of the process for getting the oximidosul- 

 phonate must be followed, an account of which we reserve for the 

 paper on these salts. Here we need only mention that we can get at 

 least 85 n j<> of the calculated quantity of oximidosulphonate from 

 nitrite, a proportion far higher than previously got by Raschig, the 

 only quantitative worker. 



In consequence of the decomposition of much of the potassium 

 hyponitrite into hydroxide and nitrous oxide, the measure of the 

 hyponitrite does not of itself serve to prove that the formation of 

 this salt is the onlv decomposition of the oxyamidosulphonate. But 

 it docs make this deduction highly probable when taken along with 

 the occurrence of so much nitrous oxide and sulphite, and with no 

 ammonia, nitrogen, or sulphate. The determination of sulphite is, 

 however, what seems sufficient of itself to prove the singleness of the 

 decomposition, although here too any very close approach to the 

 calculated amount cannot be expected, considering the ready oxidisa- 

 bility of sulphites to sulphates, and that not quite all the sulphonate 

 is ever decomposed. In consequence of the près. Mice of hyponitrite 

 and its reaction with iodine, a volumetric estimation of the sulphite 

 with iodine was not possible. We therefore availed ourselves of the 



* See not on p. 221. 



