Alkaline nitrites upon Uric acid. 217 
acid then precipitates the uric acid from the solution with a 
pale yellowish color. After the complete subsidence of the 
acid the supernatant liquid is to be poured off and the uric acid 
boiled with strong chlorhydric acid, in repeated portions, until it 
becomes perfectly white and gives with caustic potash a color- 
less solution. In this manner a kilogram of deep yellow crude 
uric acid may be rendered perfectly white in little more than 
an hour’s time. 
Action of potassic nitrite-—When uric acid is heated for 
some time with potassic nitrite, the liquid being kept acid by 
the occasional addition of acetic acid, a clear yellow solution 
finally results, which, after filtration and cooling, usually de- 
osits a voluminous potassic salt in fine, pale sulphur yellow 
needles felted together. By washing with cold water and re- 
peated recrystallizations this salt may be obtained pure, It has 
then a very pale sulphur yellow color, from which it cannot be 
freed by treatment with animal charcoal, and a peculiar astrin- 
gent bitter taste. To the acid contained in this salt I give the 
name of stryphnic acid, from orgypros, astringent-bitter. Po- 
tassic stryphnate dissolves readily in boiling water and separates 
almost completely on cooling—a character which it possesses 
mm common with all the soluble salts of the same acid. Its 
formula when dried at 102°C., is K(€,H,N,@.) as the follow- 
ing analyses show: 
13513 gr. salt gave 0°1527 gr. water and 1:2410 gr. carbonic acid 
= er cent hydrogen and 25°04 per cent carbon. 
11617 gr. salt gave 0°1307 gr. water and 1:0684 gr. carbonic acid 
= 1°24 per cent hydrogen and 25°08 per cent carbon. 0 
0°9345 gr. salt gave 280 ¢.¢. nitrogen at 4° C. and 757" = 36°76 
per cent. 
0°7322 gr. salt gave 224 c.c. nitrogen at 6° C. and 746°5"™ = 36°55 
per cent. 
0°8869 gr. salt gave 0°3978 gr. potassic sulphate = 20°12 per cent 
tassi 
9°6716 gr. salt gave 0°3008 gr. potassic sulphate = 20°07 per cent 
potassium, 
The formula €,H,KN,, requires 
Calculated. 
Found 
Carbon, 25°13 25°04 25°08 
Hyd e 1°0 226. Loe 
Nitrogen, 36°64 36°76 36°55 
Potassium, 20°41 20°12 20°07 
Oxygen, 16°78 ten. aa 
100°00 
Am. Jour. Sc1.—Szconp Szries, VoL. XLVIII, No. 143,—Spr., 1569, 
15 
é 
