- From these experiments they concluded, that the reactions attributed — 
to ozone, are in reality due to the presence of a small portion of ni- 
trous acid ; and they found that air mixed with a very small portion of 
nitrous gas, acquired an odor similar to that of ozone, blanching turme- 
ric, dahlia and indigo papers, and presenting generally the same phe- 
nomena as ozonized air. ‘They supposed that the acid first formed is’ 
the nitrous, as pure nitric acid when very much diluted, does - not ren- 
der blue a mixture of starch and iodide of potassium, which reaction 
is'readily produced by the nitrous acid; and that the nitrites formed are 
converted into nitrates by the absorption of oven during the subse- 
quent evaporation. 
These experiments seemed to show, that a iets relation uiviiiie 
exists between nitric acid and ozone, and many chemists were disposed 
to regard them as identical; but the late researches of M. Schénbein* 
have cleared up to some extent the difficulties which seemed to envel- 
op the subject. 
M. Schdnbein has ence that when water acts on hypo-nitric 
acid, there is formed besides hydrated nitric acid, a compound. having 
the formula NO?+-HO2?, and which he calls the peroxide of azote and 
hydrogen. It is to the presence of this in the solution of hypo-nitric 
acid, that we are to attribute its remarkable powers of oxidation. The 
Same reaction takes place when the hypo-nitric acid is introduced into 
a flask of moist air. 
If having ozonized the air of a jar by phosphors, we suspend in it 
a piece of carbonate of ammonia, till the air acquires the property of 
immediately blueing litmus paper, we shall find that it still retains all 
the properties of .ozone—the peculiar odor, the power of decomposing 
iodide and ferro-cyanide of potassium. This body can then exist in an 
atmosphere of carbonate of ammonia, and aanis as is found as experi- 
ment, in one of pure ammonia. 
~ If we take a portion of bypo-nitric or fuming nitric, and dilute it with 
water till it loses its colgr, and having poured a small portion of it into 
a flask, suspend in the air of the flask a piece of carbonate of ammo- 
nia, till the air acquires an alkaline reaction, we shall find that it is ca- 
pable of decomposing iodide of potassium, and blanching indigo paper, 
‘and even of converting a crystal of ferro-cyanide of potassium into the 
ferro-cyanide in the course of twenty-four hours ; ia fact it possesses all 
the properties of ordinary ozonized air. ‘The circumstances under 
which these reactions are exhibited, do not admit of the view that the 
oxidizing agent is any acid of nitrogen, and hence M. Schonbein con- 
cludes that there exists the compound NO?+-HO?. 
* Archives de ]’Electricité, No. 20, Tome V, 1845. 
