AND ON THE CONSTITUTION OF HYPONITRIC ACID. 423 
tion (19.) always occurs between the hydrogen of the hydro- 
chloric acid and the oxygen of the nitric acid. No other com- 
bination of this acid with a simple body than with oxygen is 
known ; and it is probable that it will never be possible to pro- 
duce one, it being so with regard to chlorine, which, from its 
great analogy with oxygen, in respect of polarity, is capable of 
acting an analogous part, like this metalloid. 
The hyponitric acid does therefore not behave in the way of 
the compound radicals: can it be admitted that it acts the part 
of a simple body in some organic compounds? In the present 
state of science this is a question of the highest importance, and 
it is even probable that the future chemistry of the compound 
radicals greatly depends on the accurate solution of this ques- 
tion. 
23. On acting upon an organic substance and on an oxidation 
of an equivalent of hydrogen, the nitric acid forms, according to 
the supporters of the theory of substitutions, (M — H + NO%) 
as soon as the analysis of the new compound has shown that M 
in losmg H has combined with NO*. According to Berzelius, 
however, the new compound would be represented by the for- 
mula (M + O —H) + NO®; and we might even obtain combi- 
nations such as 
[(M+ 0?—H) + N?0°}, ((M + O?— H?) + N°0*]*, 
Consequently, according to the first hypothesis, the new com- 
pound corresponds to that on which the nitric acid acted, while, 
according to the second, it is composed of nitrous acid and an 
oxide with a compound radical. 
We have therefore two hypotheses which lead to very differ- 
ent theoretical considerations, for they proceed from a class of 
compounds which are not identical. Investigations, whose ob- 
ject is to support one or other of these hypotheses, are in the 
present state of science of the more importance, as the confir- 
mation of one of them will add considerably to our knowledge 
of the constitution of the organic compounds, and raise their 
study to the rank of an exact science. 
* As we cannot enter into the details of these two hypotheses, we leave out 
of consideration the circumstances in which the processes appear to be different 
where the nitrogen and the nitric oxide enter into the compound radical. My 
object is only to place the fundamental principles of these two modes of viewing 
the subject in parallel. : 
