﻿56 
  Scientific 
  Intelligence. 
  

  

  SCIENTIFIC 
  INTELLIGENCE. 
  

  

  I. 
  Chemistry 
  and 
  Physics. 
  

  

  1. 
  On 
  Diammonium. 
  — 
  The 
  suggestion 
  of 
  Curtius, 
  the 
  dis- 
  

   coverer 
  of 
  hydrazine 
  or 
  diamide, 
  that 
  there 
  should 
  be 
  a 
  hypo- 
  

   thetical 
  radical 
  diammonium 
  which 
  bears 
  the 
  same 
  relation 
  to 
  

   diamide 
  that 
  ammonium 
  does 
  to 
  ammonia, 
  has 
  been 
  verified 
  by 
  

   this 
  chemist 
  in 
  connection 
  with 
  Schrader; 
  they 
  having 
  prepared 
  

   a 
  large 
  number 
  of 
  double 
  salts 
  containing 
  this 
  diammonium 
  radi- 
  

   cal. 
  Diamide 
  itself 
  H 
  2 
  N 
  — 
  NH 
  2 
  is 
  extremely 
  unstable 
  and 
  its 
  

   separate 
  existence 
  is 
  yet 
  somewhat 
  uncertain 
  ; 
  while 
  its 
  hydrate 
  

   N 
  2 
  H 
  4 
  , 
  H 
  2 
  is 
  very 
  permanent. 
  Moreover, 
  diamide 
  is 
  also 
  unlike 
  

   ammonia 
  in 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  a 
  diacid 
  base 
  while 
  ammonia 
  is 
  

   monacid. 
  The 
  normal 
  hydrazine 
  chloride 
  is 
  C1H 
  3 
  N 
  — 
  NH 
  3 
  C1 
  and 
  

   the 
  sulphate 
  is 
  (H 
  3 
  N 
  — 
  NH 
  3 
  )"S0 
  4 
  . 
  The 
  analogy 
  thus 
  shown 
  be- 
  

   tween 
  diammonium 
  and 
  the 
  bivalent 
  metals 
  of 
  the 
  alkali-earths, 
  

   is 
  further 
  strengthened 
  by 
  the 
  sparing 
  solubility 
  of 
  its 
  sulphate 
  

   and 
  its 
  inability 
  to 
  form 
  alums 
  with 
  the 
  sulphates 
  of 
  the 
  alumina 
  

   group. 
  On 
  the 
  other 
  hand, 
  however, 
  certain 
  properties 
  of 
  diam- 
  

   monium 
  show 
  that 
  it 
  resembles 
  closely 
  the 
  alkali 
  metals. 
  Thus 
  

   its 
  hydrate 
  generally 
  acts 
  as 
  a 
  monacid 
  base. 
  Its 
  chloride 
  

   N„H 
  6 
  . 
  Cl 
  2 
  is 
  decomposed 
  below 
  100° 
  into 
  hydrogen 
  chloride 
  and 
  

   N 
  2 
  H 
  4 
  . 
  HC1, 
  which 
  cannot 
  be 
  made 
  to 
  lose 
  more 
  hydrogen 
  chloride 
  

   without 
  destruction 
  of 
  the 
  base. 
  The 
  hydrate 
  N 
  2 
  H 
  4 
  . 
  (H 
  2 
  0) 
  2 
  can 
  

   exist 
  only 
  in 
  solution. 
  On 
  evaporation 
  it 
  passes 
  into 
  the 
  hydrate 
  

   N 
  2 
  H 
  4 
  . 
  H 
  2 
  0, 
  which 
  boils 
  without 
  decomposing. 
  Ammonia 
  gas 
  

   displaces 
  only 
  half 
  the 
  acid 
  of 
  the 
  sulphate 
  N 
  2 
  H 
  4 
  . 
  H 
  2 
  S0 
  4 
  leaving 
  

   the 
  stable 
  sulphate 
  (N 
  2 
  H 
  4 
  ) 
  2 
  H 
  2 
  S0 
  4 
  . 
  Moreover 
  only 
  one 
  nitrate 
  

   N 
  2 
  H 
  4 
  . 
  HN0 
  3 
  appears 
  to 
  exist 
  and 
  only 
  one 
  thiocyanate 
  N 
  2 
  H 
  4 
  . 
  

   SCNH. 
  The 
  authors 
  conclude 
  that 
  diammonium 
  may 
  act 
  as 
  a 
  

   univalent 
  radical 
  (N 
  2 
  H 
  B 
  )* 
  and 
  also 
  as 
  a 
  bivalent 
  one 
  (NgHJ", 
  the 
  

   salts 
  of 
  the 
  former 
  being 
  the 
  more 
  stable. 
  Double 
  salts 
  of 
  diam- 
  

   monium 
  sulphate 
  with 
  the 
  sulphates 
  of 
  copper, 
  nickel, 
  cobalt 
  

   iron, 
  manganese, 
  cadmium 
  and 
  zinc 
  have 
  been 
  obtained, 
  all 
  of 
  

   which 
  are 
  anhydrous. 
  They 
  are 
  readily 
  thrown 
  down 
  as 
  precipi- 
  

   tates 
  on 
  mixing 
  strong 
  solutions 
  of 
  the 
  metallic 
  sulphate 
  and 
  

   diammonium 
  sulphate. 
  The 
  latter 
  may 
  be 
  either 
  the 
  sulphate 
  

   N 
  2 
  H 
  6 
  S0 
  4 
  or 
  (N 
  2 
  H 
  5 
  ) 
  2 
  S0 
  4 
  . 
  While 
  the 
  former 
  of 
  these 
  sulphates 
  is 
  

   difficultly 
  soluble 
  the 
  latter 
  is 
  deliquescent; 
  yet 
  the 
  sparingly 
  

   soluble 
  double 
  salts 
  always 
  contain 
  the 
  latter 
  sulphate. 
  More- 
  

   over 
  salts 
  of 
  the 
  type 
  R 
  /7 
  S0 
  4 
  . 
  (N 
  2 
  H 
  4 
  ) 
  2 
  and 
  ITS0 
  4 
  . 
  (N 
  2 
  H 
  4 
  ) 
  3 
  have 
  

   been 
  obtained, 
  the 
  former 
  containing 
  zinc 
  or 
  cadmium, 
  the 
  latter 
  

   nickel 
  or 
  cobalt. 
  All 
  attempts 
  to 
  obtain 
  alums 
  containing 
  the 
  di- 
  

   ammonium 
  sulphate 
  N 
  2 
  H 
  6 
  . 
  S0 
  4 
  have 
  been 
  unsuccessful. 
  — 
  J.prakt. 
  

   Ch., 
  II, 
  1, 
  311, 
  September, 
  ] 
  894. 
  g. 
  f. 
  b. 
  

  

  2. 
  On 
  Nitrogen 
  Trioxide. 
  — 
  The 
  actual 
  existence 
  of 
  the 
  triox- 
  

   ide 
  of 
  nitrogen 
  or 
  nitrous 
  anhydride 
  N 
  2 
  3 
  , 
  appears 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  

   established 
  by 
  Lunge 
  and 
  Porsohnew. 
  Although 
  the 
  oxides 
  

  

  