On the Reduction of Nitrites to Hydroxyamine 

 by Hydrogen Sulphide. 



By 

 Edward Divers, M. D., F. R. S., 



Professor of Chemistry, Imperial University, 



aud 



Tamemasa Haga, M. S. C. I. 



Assistant Professor of Cliemistry, Imperial University, 



The solution of an alkali nitrite, saturated with hydrogen sulphide, 

 and then acidified with hydrochloric or sulphuric acid, yields sulphur, 

 nitric oxide, and ammonia, but no hydroxyamine, the presence of this 

 being incompatible with the presence of what is known as free nitrous 

 acid. When the escaping gases are collected out of contact with air, 

 they slowly deposit sulphur, and do so more quickly still, when bub- 

 bled through water into the air, in consequence of reactions between 

 hydrogen sulphide, nitric oxide, and oxygen, — but still no hydroxy- 

 amine appears. 



But when silver nitrite in water is treated with hydrogen sulphide, 

 then besides the sulphur, nitric oxide, and ammonia, still abundantly 

 formed; (and also silver sulphide), there is found a considerable quantity 

 of hydroxyamine. On filtering off the silver sulphide, adding hy- 

 drochloric acid to convert the hydrosulphides into hydrochlorides, and 

 evaporating to dryness, there is obtained a mixture of ammonium and 

 hydroxyammonium chlorides. ( Heating the filtrate before adding 

 an acid causes destruction of the hydroxyamine by the hydrogen 

 sulphide). 



