66 Scientific Intelligence. 



volume are proportional to the Dumber of atoms in their molecules. 

 — C. it., cxxiv, 119, January, 1897. g. f. b. 



3. On the Synthetic Action of the Dark Electric Discharge. — 

 An extended series of experiments has been made by Losanitsch 

 and Joyitschitsch upon the action of the dark electric discharge 

 in producing chemical synthesis. The apparatus used was the 

 ozonizer of Berthelot, which the authors propose to call an " elec- 

 triser." Connected with it was a lateral tube dipping in water 

 or mercury, by means of which the change in volume during the 

 reaction could be noted. A current of from 3 to 5 amperes and 

 an electromotive force of 70 volts was used to excite a large 

 induction coil. When carbon monoxide and water vapor was 

 contained in the electriser, the manometer showed contraction at 

 once on passing the spark, the water column rising 400 mm in two 

 hours. The tube contained a strongly acid liquid which was 

 proved to be formic acid by its reducing power on ammonio-silver 

 nitrate. Carbon dioxide and water gave formic acid and oxygen 

 when subjected to the dark discharge in the same tube, C0 2 + H 2 

 =HCOOH-hO ; the oxygen subsequently acting on the water to 

 produce H 2 . With hydrogen and carbon monoxide, the pres- 

 sure diminished to half an atmosphere in three hours, some drops 

 of a thick liquid being formed; there being produced at first 

 formic aldehyde probably, CO + H 2 = COH 2 , and this polymerizing 

 to glycolaldehyde. Carbon dioxide with hydrogen gave formic 

 acid, and with marsh gas gave at first acetic aldehyde and subse- 

 quently its polymer aldol. With hydrogen sulphide, carbon 

 monoxide gave at first formic aldehyde with separation of sul- 

 phur; thiol'ormic aldehyde resulting subsequently from the action 

 of this upon the hydrogen sulphide. With hydrogen chloride, 

 carbon monoxide gave probably formyl chloride. With ammonia 

 it yielded formamide with a trace of hydrogen cyanide. Hydro- 

 gen sulphide and hydrogen gave carbon monosulphide and 

 hydrogen sulphide ; while with carbon monoxide it gave carbon 

 oxysulphide and monosulphide. Kitrogen and water, as already 

 proved by Berthelot, yielded ammonium nitrite. The unsatu- 

 rated hydrocarbons under these conditions polymerized themselves 

 very readily. — Ber. Deri. Chem. Ges. } xxx, 135, January, 1897. 



G. F. B. 



•A. On Structural Isomerism in Inorganic Compounds. — By 

 the action of hydroxylamine sulphate upon barium hypophosphite, 

 Sabaneeff has succeeded in obtaining hydroxylamine hypophos- 

 phite, ^H s O . H s P0 . Since the salt when in solution oxidizes 

 readily in the air, it is necessary to conduct the operation in an 

 atmosphere of carbon dioxide. The solution thus obtained shows 

 all the reactions of hydroxylamine and of hypophosphorous acid 

 and contains not a trace of phosphorous acid, which however 

 readily appears on the access of air. It is decomposed when 

 evaporated on the water-bath, but on spontaneous evaporation it 

 yields needle-shaped crystals, containing by analysis 30*95 per 

 cent phosphorus. These crystals are hygroscopic, dissolve readily 



