1007 
internal equilibrium prevails and continues to prevail in the vapour. 
The black P can pass to a less metastable state by means of 
the vapour, which, as has been said, is permanently in internal equi- 
librium, and that either by « depositing from the vapour on the 
black phosphorus, or by evaporating from the black phosphorus. 
It is to be expected that both processes take place. In the course 
of the experiment of course also a slight internal transformation 
will also have taken place. This transformation, indeed, leads to a 
higher vapour pressure, but our reasoning is only valid for the 
period that the vapour tension of the disturbed black phosphorus 
has not yet risen above that of the violet. 
That the phenomenon discussed here does not come in collision 
with the second law of Thermodynamics either, is clear, since the 
state of the system, taken as a whole, again undergoes such a 
change that the metastability decreases. 
The process under discussion taking place at constant temperature 
and constant pressure, viz. at the vapour pressure of violet phos- 
phorus, we might also say that notwithstanding the substance which 
at first possessed the lowest vapour tension, evaporated, the total 
thermodynamic potential has decreased. 
(To be continued.) 
Anorg. Chem. Laboratory of the University. 
Amsterdam, Nov. 26, 1915. 
Chemistry. — “The composition of the hydrochlorides obtained 
from formaldoxime”. By Dr. C. H. Sturrer. (Communicated 
by Prof. A. F. HorLLEMAN). 
(Communicated in the meeting of November 27, 1915). 
A mixture of equimolecular quantities of hydroxylamine and for- 
maldehyde in aqueous solution yields after shaking with ether and 
drying the same over calcium chloride, a solution of formaldoxime. 
This gives with dry hydrogen chloride an amorphous white preci- 
pitate of a hydrochloride. On dissolving this in boiling methyl 
aleohol and adding, when cold, a large excess of dry ether, a colourless 
oil is formed which sooner or later solidifies for the greater part 
to a crystalline mass. Of this R. Scuoni.') remarks that it has a 
1) Ber. 24, 579 (1891). 
ep] 
wo 
Proceedings Royal Acad. Amsterdam. Vol. XVIII. 
