246 CHEMICAL TRANSFORMATIONS 



of the cyanogen uniting with the hydrogen which 

 was liberated. 



Cyanogen experiences a third transformation, by 

 which a complete disunion of its elements takes 

 place, these being divided between the constituents 

 of the water. Oxalic acid is the one product of 

 this disunion, and ammonia the other. 



Cyanic acid, the formation of which has been 

 mentioned above, cannot exist in contact with 

 water, being decomposed immediately into carbonic 

 acid and ammonia. The cyanic acid, however, newly 

 formed in the decomposition of cyanogen, escapes 

 this decomposition by entering into combination 

 with the free ammonia, by which urea is produced. 



The hydrocyanic acid is also decomposed into a 

 brown matter which contains hydrogen and cyano- 

 gen, the latter in greater proportion than it does 

 in the gaseous state. Oxalic acid, urea, and 

 carbonic acid, are also formed by its decomposition, 

 and formic acid and ammonia are produced by the 

 decomposition of its radical. 



Thus, a substance into the composition of which 

 only two elements (carbon and nitrogen) enter, 

 yields eight totally different products. Several of 

 these products are formed by the transformation 

 of the original body, its elements being shared 

 between the constituents of water; others are 

 produced in consequence of a further disunion of 

 those first formed. The urea and carbonate of 

 ammonia are generated by the combination of two 



