ami 



1917.] The Fourth Indian Science Co><jres$. clxxix 



(1) the discovery of isomers of the pe [Me \ ORpRl and 



[Me N.OR)]<)R which shows that the fifth valen. i- differ t 

 from the other four, 



(2) the number of isomers of the type Na bx, Naabc* 



predicted by the existing configurations never conforms even 

 remotely to experimental result* which, howev* invariably 

 agree with the deductions from the single tetrahedron formula. 



(3) the number of isomers containing one asymmetric « arbon am 



one asymmetric nitrogen atom predicted by the exiting for 

 mule is absurdly large whilst the tetrahedron formula would 

 yield only four optical isomers which have l>een obtained ex- 

 perimentally by Harvey and others, 



(4) the discovery of optically active amine oxidoe O: me b\ 



Meisenheimer is a crucial proof of the validity of the tetra- 

 hedron formula, 



(5) the fact that substituted pyridinium and qumolinium com- 



pounds have not been resolved whilst tetrahydro qumolinium 

 derivatives have been resolved is satisfactorily explained by 

 no formula other than the tetrahedron formula, 



(6) the passage of trivalent nitrogen to pentavalency is explained 



by supposing that trivalent nitrogen in the amines has a 

 plane configuration which, when passing to the pentavalent 

 condition assumes an M in- tetrahedron " configuration and then 



passes 



III III v V 



(7) Owing to the fact that N . N is more stable than X. N, com- 

 pounds containing two pentavalent nitrogen atoms joined to- 

 gether are not stable and therefore have not been resolved. 

 The non-existence of such compounds is not due to interference 

 as supposed by B. K. Singh. Compounds containing two asym- 

 metric nitrogen atoms separated by and joined to carbon 

 atoms have been obtained as isomers. In this case as we have 

 two separate pentavalent nitrogen atoms not joined together, 

 they are capable of existence in the same compound. As a 

 matter of fact carbon is almost unique it. forming chain* of 

 carbon atoms joined together— a property to which the ex* 

 tence of organic chemistry is due and which is not shared by 

 other elements. 



It is to be noted that the idea of a tetravalent i ■onfigiiration J*™** 

 valent nitrogen is to be i«und in some of the writings of Wo ™7; * ff*"" 

 heimer and several oth^But the systematic development o i thw con- 

 figuration for nitrogeAicke hitl rto been wanting so much so .at so late 

 r?,_ ,„,- „ , - aH rttll and Woodman (Tram Chem. Boo., IMS, 887) 

 wrote mac " tne cnoiceof space formula f« >r ■ n i trogen at pr ™tlu*bej 

 ween the double tetrahedron arrangement of W . lgerodt and the pjramid 

 formula of Bischoff " and that in 1916 Singh has ^^^^J^™^ 

 tion of the inability of two pentavalent nitrogen » to ™ ™ «"*£ ^ ^ 

 deducible from the pyramid formula. It has been the P"^" [ ™ 



paper to show systematically that the ""Vf**^^^^^ 

 far more satisfactorily a much large, number of experimental facts than 



the existing formula for nitrogen. 



Potential of the Nitrogen Klectrode.-% R. Veskate^varak. 



wrote that " the c 



E.M.F. of pol 



r normal MvuKwv- ~ — i 



nmablv due to hydrogen and 



«.«..£ ui tjumti^..^. f •; nitrocen electrode by coating a hani 



An attempt was made to prepare a nnrogtm * . n H immf raini? he 



lass tube with a film of platinum, platinising ^ an '™™^^ 



solution of Na ions, through which carefully |wnW«» 



tube 

 sen 



electrode 



