Miscellaneous Intelligence. 441 



t 



troduction of these imaginary combinations had only been an apparent 

 progress in theoretical chemistry, and that it had even impeded its de- 

 velopment. 



It is well known that what has most contributed to the admission 

 of the existence of these compounds, has been the opinion generally 



w l fPWW > VVUVV -w-- «-- w — j-- -"/ - ■ *-* ^ W 



received among chemists respecting the nature of nitric acid. Starting 

 from the existence of the compound of nitrogen NO ? , as an undoubted 

 and demonstrated fact, notwithstanding the impossibility of isolating it, 

 they always cite nitric acid to prove the existence of compounds which 

 cannot exist in an isolated state. In my opinion, there is no degree of 

 oxydation which is represented by N0 5 , and what these chemists desig- 

 nate by the formula N0 5 +HO must be considered as being really 

 N0 4 -f-H0 2 ; I am even inclined to regard the normal nitrates 

 N0 5 4-RO, as compounds which must be expressed by N0 4 -j-R0 2 . 

 Amongst other motives which induce me to admit this opinion, I will 

 mention the fact that we can obtain hydrated nitric acid or a normal 

 nitrate by the direct mixture of N0 4 with H0 2 or R0 2 . Other con- 

 siderations, which I have had occasion to detail elsewhere, induce me 

 also to consider hydrated sulphuric acid to have the form S0 2 -j-H0 2 , 

 and not that of S0 3 -f HO, and a normal sulphate that of S0 2 -j-R0 2 . 

 It is sufficient here to observe that S0 2 placed in presence of H0 2 

 gives rise to what is called hydrated sulphuric acid, and that S0 2 

 placed in presence of Ba0 2 or Pb0 2 gives rise to what is called sul- 

 phate of the oxyd of barium or of lead. Rose's compound, to which 

 the formula 2S0 3 -f N0 2 has been assigned, should have, in my opin- 

 ion, 2SO„4~NO A . Admitting this, I considered it probable that 



the mixture of 2(SO,+H0 2 ) (=2(S0 3 +HO)) with N0 4 +H0 2 



(=NO s +HO) yields 2S0 2 -)-N0 4 , and that at the same time 3H0 2 is 

 disengaged, or enters into a loose combination with what is called the 

 bisulphate of deutoxyd of nitrogen. In other words, I conjectured 

 that a mixture formed with the hydrates of nitric acid and sulphuric 

 acid would possess a very great power of oxydation, and would form a 

 kind of aqua regia, in which the combination H0 2 would I act .the part 

 of the chlorine. On this hypothesis, and abstracting H0 2 from the 

 acid mixture by means of a proper oxydable body, there ought to re- 

 main Rose's compound. , , . . r«i r~„„,j 



Guided by these suppositions, which, I admit, may be as little found- 

 ed as they are contrary to the ideas received among chemists, I com- 

 menced in December, 1845, a series of experiments with a view to put 

 my hypothesis to the proof: it will be seen in the sequel whether the 

 results at which I arrived tend to confirm it. 



I mixed some flowers of sulphur and a certain quan t.ty of tbeaad 

 mixture of which I have spoken: immediately, even at a tempera ure 

 of 32° R, a lively disengagement of sulphurous acid gas took place 

 without the production of deutoxyd of nitrogen. After the reaction, 

 which was accompanied by a development of heat, there ^.ned la 

 colorless liquid, which, mixed with water, disengaged a considerable 

 quantity of deutoxyd of nitrogen, and acted generally as a solution ot 

 Rose's compound in hydrated sulphuric acid would have done. 



I should add here, that a mixture of four ounces of hydrated sulphu- 

 ric acid with a single drop of nitric acid, on the addition of flowers of 



Second Series, Vol. IV, No. 12.— Nov., 1847. 56 



