178 Mr. H. Church on the Oxidation of 
corresponding to a per-centage of— 
Theory, 
Experiment. CH? Ag (NO*) O4, 
Silvers) .4 0d SOG] A154: 
So far as they have been yet examined, the properties of nitro- 
phenoie acid confirm the idea that it is a true homologue of 
nitrobenzoic acid. 
I have made an attempt to prepare the original acid, the 
phenoic, of which I have supposed the above-noticed acid to be 
the nitro-derivative. Although a mixture of bichromate of po- 
tassium and sulphuric acid is without action on benzole, it acts 
most energetically on sulphobenzolic acid formed by dissolving 
benzole in Nordhausen sulphuric acid. If to a slightly diluted 
solution of sulphobenzolic acid at about 70° C. minute frag- 
ments of bichromate of potassium be added, one at a time, and 
the action which ensues at each addition be moderated by cooling 
the apparatus, an acid distillate will be obtained, on the surface 
of which small brilliant crystals, gencrally accompanied by a few 
oily globules, will be found floating. It would seem that the 
oily and solid portions of the distillate are alike in composition, 
since the analysis of the silver-salts of the two bodies, separated 
mechanically as far as possible, gave almost the same numbers. 
Of the annexed determinations, I. was made with a silver-salt 
prepared from the oily part, and II. with one prepared from the 
crystalline part of the distillate. 
I. -739 grm. gave ‘37 grm. of silver, 
II. +3822 grm. gave ‘163 grm. of silver ; 
corresponding to the following per-centages of silver :— 
Experiment. Theory, 
: II. CH Ae D4 
50:06 50:06 50°23 
Sulphotoluolic and sulphocumolic acids, when oxidized as de- 
scribed above, yield benzoic acid inabundance. I have identified 
the product by all the usual tests. I have not yet experimented 
with the xylole series. Sulphocymolic acid yields a white powder, 
apparently identical with insolinic acid. 
Nitrotoluole, when oxidized, yielded nitrobenzoie acid, which 
agreed in every respect with a pure specimen in my possession 
prepared from benzoic acid. I have before mentioned the diffi- 
culty with which nitrobenzole is acted on by the oxidizing mix- 
ture; and if this latter be somewhat diluted, it affords a means 
of separating the nitro-derivatives of toluole, &c. from nitro- 
benzole, which, when the action is complete, is siphoned off and 
