AND ON THE CONSTITUTION OF HYPONITRIC ACID. 425 
plete the change. Hyponitric acid, when it partially dehydro- 
genizes a body, or forms a compound upon which it no longer 
exerts under the altered circumstances any further dehydroge- 
nizing effect, is able to convert this body into an oxide, an acid, 
and sometimes even into a salt. 
26. The oxide may combine at the moment of its formation 
with the nitrous acid, whose oxidizing power is smaller than 
that of the other two acids of nitrogen *. 
When the oxide formed does not enter into combination, it is 
still subject to the influence of the oxidizing agent, becomes 
+ 
more highly oxidized, and converted either into a simple non- 
nitrogenous acid (action of nitric and hyponitric acids on the 
essential oils which contain no oxygen, on paraffine, &c.), or into 
a nitrogenous conjugated acid (nitronaphthalinic acid, &c.). 
Lastly, if the acid acts upon an oxy-salt which has originated 
under its influence, a still higher oxygenized salt may be formed 
(action of nitric acid on naphthaline, benzine, &c.). Even with 
other acids than those formed under the influence of these acids, 
oxidation might result (action of hyponitric acid on neutral fatty 
bodies). 
The formation of the organic non-nitrogenous acids under 
these circumstances, and the action of hyponitric acid upon the 
fats, are facts of the highest importance in proof that this acid 
does indeed act the part of an oxidizing and dehydrogenizing 
agent, 
But if an oxy-acid with compound radical containing hydrogen 
can be formed by the oxidizing action of hyponitric acid, it may 
as easily happen that by the action of this very same acid, or of 
nitric acid upon another organic body, bases might be formed, for 
acidity and basicity depend on the opposite tendency resulting 
from the grouping of the molecules, on the circumstances under 
which this grouping took place, on the proportions in which the 
bodies combine, &c. There is nothing therefore to prevent a 
base being formed, and by combining with the least powerful of 
the oxidizing agents resulting from the partial deoxidation of 
the nitric and hyponitric acids, yielding a nitrous salt (26.). 
27. If, for instance, concentrated nitric acid be allowed to act 
upon acetone, C® H® O?, two compounds are obtained, (C® H? O 
+ NO*), (C°H®?O + HO), resulting from the dehydrogenizing 
* From the examples which will be subsequently related, it will be seen that 
this actually happens. 
VOL. IV. PART Xv. Qu 
