49 
p. 17.) The possibility of the production of hydrogen peroxid in the 
living cells while the energetic oxidation representing the respiration 
process is going on, can not be denied; it is, in fact, very probable. 
Recent investigations have shown beyond a doubt that labil hydrogen 
atoms in an organic compound can form hydrogen peroxid on coming 
into contact with free oxygen. When it happens that the main organic 
complex is otherwise not readily oxidized, and especially is not easily 
changed further by the hydrogen peroxid formed, the amount of the 
latter produced can be determined quantitatively. ‘Thus it can be 
shown that this amount corresponds to the amount of the labil hydrogen 
atoms which have separated from the organic compound to combine 
with molecular oxygen. Such a compound is phenylhydroxylamine, 
studied by Eugen Bamberger.’ It has a relatively stable atomic 
structure, the two unstable atoms being the two hydrogen atoms in the 
hydroxylamine group, which are inclined to combine directly with one 
molecule of oxygen when exposed to the air in aqueous solution. 
OALNHOE.” <2 2° 007 “ives ONO = =0 =o 
Phenylhydroxylamine. Molecular oxygen. Nitrosobenzene.2 Hydrogen peroxid. 
In presence of sodium hydrate the hydrogen peroxid formed is rap- 
idly consumed again, the nitrosobenzene being thereby oxidized to 
nitrobenzene. Hence the primary formation of hydrogen peroxid in 
this latter case escapes notice, which also happens in numerous other 
instances of autoxidation. Cases exist, however, where even in pres- 
ence of sodium hydrate the hydrogen peroxid remains unchanged, as 
shown by W. Manchot.? Oxanthranol dissolved in alkalies forms a 
red solution which in contact with air is rapidly decolorized and sepa- 
rates white anthraquinone, while at the same time hydrogen peroxid 
is produced. 
CHOH CO 
CHK CHit O=0 gives CHC Oot ter 20 Soe rt 
Oxanthranol. Anthraquinone. 
It was found by that author that for one molecule of anthraquinone 
one molecule of hydrogen peroxid was produced, which confirms the 
correctness of this equation. Quite in analogy is the transformation 
of dihydrophenanthrenquinone to phenanthrenquinone, that of hydro- 
chrysoquinone and hydroretenquinone to their respective ketones, and 
that of hydrazotriazol to azotriazol. 
1 Berichte der Deutschen Chemischen Gesellschaft, vol. 33, p. 118 (1900). 
2The nitrosobenzene thus primarily formed is acted upon by still unchanged 
molecules of phenylhydroxylamine and forms azoxybenzene. Three grams of 
phenylhydroxylamine in 40 ce. water yielded, after treatment with a current of air for 
seventy hours, 2.5 grams azoxybenzene and 0.398 gram hydrogen peroxid, which 
corresponds to 92.5 per cent of the theoretical yield. 
> Ueber freiwillige Oxydation, Leipzig, Veit & Co., 1900. 
—S ee 
