NITROGEN BODIES OF MODERN CHEMISTRY. 209 



with a single, grain the eouibustiou is transfeired from grain to grain, 

 and the wliolo(|uantity of carbon andsnlphnr isconsumed in the oxygen. 



Nevertheless, gunpowder, though compounded with all possible care, 

 though triturated and incori)orated Vvith the most scrupulous attention, 

 can never acquire that perfect blending wliich may be attained by the 

 introduction of combinations of atoms into the structure of organic for- 

 mulic. 



As intimate and uniform an incorporation of the atoms as occurs in 

 the nitrogen bodies can never be effected by the meclianism of povaler- 

 mills ; and this alone indicates the importance of the nitrogen com- 

 pounds. 



iNot among the earliest of those bodies, it is true, but a very recent 

 descendant from thejn, and iirst brought into notice by the celebrated 

 chemist Schonbein, is gun-cotton. Gun-cotton is ordinary cotton ni- 

 trogenized. Cotton is chemically called cellulose, vegetable cellulin, 

 vegetable hbrin. Vegetable hbrin has the formula — 



Ei. 



cooooococo 



QOOCXXX)CCOOOO 



ooo 



In the middle we see the union of the carbon atoms to be firm ; at 

 the ends comparatively weak. Xow if,, step by step, wo replace the 

 hydrogen with nitrogen compounds, with nitryl, we have trinitrocel- 

 lulose, wherein these atoms of hydrogen are replaced by nitryl, and 

 we have before us gun-cotton, whose formation was effected by this 

 substitution of nitryl radicals N O2 for hydrogen. 



The manufacture of gun-cotton is extremel}'^ simple. We require 

 oulytheso-callednitro-sulphuric acid, which isin common use. Thereare 

 two liniits in compounding tliis acid. We may mix equal parts of good 

 jSTordhausen acid, or Saxon or Bohemian oil of vitriol, and ot good 

 fuming nitric acid, or three parts of Nordhauseu acid and two parts of 

 nitric acid 5 or two ])arts of iSTordhausen acid and three of red fuming 

 nitric acid. A mixture with either of these proportions ]>roduces a. 

 serviceable nitro-sulphuric acid, which has received the trivial name of 

 ifulminii! acid from its use in the manufacture of fulminating compounds. 



In mixing the brown oil of vitriol with red nitric acid there occurs a 

 moment when the mixture of the two acids is nearly colorless. This is 

 the state in wliich the compound is most available. It must be effect- 

 ually cooled, if possible in a freezing mixture composed of three parts 

 snow and one partejisom salts or common cooking-salt; or, at all events, 

 Us 



