SESSION II. DISCUSSION 



173 



Table i 



Amount of ammonia synthesized when distilled water saturated with 

 various gases is exposed to supersonic vibrations 



* The exposure to supersonic vibration was carried out in o- 1 N-HCl. 



t The exposure to supersonic vibration was carried out in i % succinic acid. 



Hydrocyanic acid was not found in water exposed to supersonic vibrations in the 

 presence of oxygen or of nitrogen alone, or in that of gaseous mixtures of nitrogen and 

 hydrogen. As a control we also used water containing ammonia or nitrous acid in view 

 of the possibility that these substances might be formed in water exposed to supersonic 

 vibrations. 



A similar amount of hydrocyanic acid was also foimd when methane was substituted 

 for carbon monoxide in the gaseous mixtures used. 



The formation of hydrocyanic acid in our experiments is, most probably, to be attributed 

 to an interaction between activated nitrogen and aldehydes or other carbon-containing 

 compounds. As our investigations have shown formaldehyde is, in fact, found in water 

 exposed to supersonic vibrations if this water contains hydrogen, nitrogen and carbon 

 monoxide (Table 2). 



Table 2 



Amount of formaldehyde formed related to the nature of the gases with which the water is 

 saturated and to the duration of exposure to supersonic vibrations 



In conclusion, it must be pointed out that there must have been sources of acoustic 

 energy of comparatively great intensity at some time, in the form of a number of pheno- 

 mena which took place at various periods in the history of the Earth (earthquakes, up- 

 heavals of the sea, waterfalls, etc.). It would be valuable to make a quantitative calculation 

 of the acoustic energy which has been produced and which is now being produced imder 

 natural conditions. 



