546 A. Pedler — Actioji of Nitric Oxide on Alkalies. [No. 4, 



But if tlie nitrite only were formed the equation would be, 



4N6 + 2KOH = 2NOOK + lSr20-fH20, 

 or out of eight volumes of nitric oxide, two volumes of nitrous oxide 

 would remain, and an absorption of three-fourths of the volume of the 

 gas would take place. 



On the other hand, a direct combination of nitric oxide and the 

 hydrate with the formation of a single salt might occur as in the 

 supposed case, 



2N0 + 2K0H = N2O3K2 + HgO, 

 and thus the potassium salt of a nitrogen acid corresponding to hypo- 

 vanadic acid might be produced. In this case also, the whole gas 

 would combine with the alkali and no residual gas would be left. 



The work done in the researches alluded to previously having given 

 no very positive proof as to whether either of the above reactions will 

 occur, a series of experiments was commenced and had been brought to 

 partial completion when salts of the missing acid, intermediate between 

 nitrous and hyponitrous acid and corresponding to hypovanadic acid, 

 were obtained by a totally different method by Dr. A. Angeli (Gazetta 

 Chimica Italiana, July 31, 1896), a summary of whose researches is 

 given in " Nature " for August 20, 1896. 



Angeli obtained the sodium salt of the new acid HgNgOg by the 

 action of hydroxylamine on ethyl nitrate in presence of sodium ethylate, 

 according to the equation : — 



C2H5ONO2 + NH^OH = CaH.OH 4 HgN^Og. 



As the problem was being attacked by us from a different direction, 

 and the results we had obtained appeared to point to the second of the 

 three possibilities occuring, namely the formation of a nitrite and free 

 nitrogen monoxide, while the potassium salt of the new acid does not 

 appear to be formed by the direct union of nitric oxide and potassium 

 hydrate, it is thought of suflBcient interest to put some of the experi- 

 ments on record. 



Tn order to study the action of nitric oxide on alkalies two 

 methods have been employed. In none of these experiments has solu- 

 tion of alkaline hydi-ate been used. In order to hasten the absorp- 

 tion the tubes containing the solid hvdrate and the nitric oxide were 

 invariably heated to temperatures higher than 100° C, sometimes up to 

 400° C. The consequence was that the same absorption, which was 

 observed by Graylussac and others to occur during three months, took 

 place in the course of ten to twelve hours. Some tubes, however, were 

 also exposed to the solar rays, but under these circumstances only slight 

 absorption appeared to take place. The maximum absorption of nitric 

 oxide by the hydrate varied from two- thirds to three-fourths of the 



