Tae 
22 W. Gibbs on the Constitution of Organic Compounds. 
in the action of NOs upon oxyd of ammonium we may suppose 
that a species of substitution takes place, 80 replacing N, while, 
in ordinary cases of substitution, a double molecule NN is 
separated. Thus the action of NOs upon oxyd of ammonium, 
considered for the sake of simplicity as i pe may be rep- 
resented by the equation 
H H H 
H H H 
N i O-+NO:=03 Hy OF2N= 5p O1-+2N. 
H H H 
When the oxyd of the ammonium is a monohydrate an equiva- 
lent of water is usually set free. This mode of considering the 
action of NOs upon ammonium molecules possesses advantages 
sufficient, as I think, to justify its employment. The formation 
of glycolic acid from glycosin may then be represented by the ~ 
equation : 
wrt 
C2HO2 
ee 0+HO+N0:=03 og 0--2N-+HO. 
H H 3 
Glycolic acid has therefore the rational formula 
C2HO2 
C2 Os, - 
- 
far) 
-Q 
a 
—T 
< 
= 
— 
a) 
ee 
ct 
2) 
ry 
fy 
| 
= 
io) 
3 
B 
- 
® 
E 
oO 
> 
2 
— 
ta) 
o 
Sj 
r=) 
= 
@ 
co 
Pp 
rt 
“4 
8 
3 
= 
wn 
me 
co 
s x 
Y 
Z A : 
Strecker has shown that the action of NOs upon hippuric acid 
produces a new acid which he terms benzoglycolic acid. 
— constitution of this acid must be represented by 
ormu. 
EF 
C2HOe2 
C2H 
Shon Oi==CisH80s, 
H 
