430 



Dr. Divers on Salts of Nitrous Oxide. [Apr. 20, 



believed that Davy must have in reality obtained a nitre-sulphate and not a 

 simple salt of nitrous oxide. I have not yet had time to repeat Davy's 

 experiments myself, but I wish to point out one well-marked and essential 

 difference between the body obtained by Davy and Pelouze's nitrosulphate, 

 which is that, whereas the former body evolved pure nitrous oxide when 

 heated, the latter gives off nitric oxide ; and also that, according to 

 Davy's experiments, Pelouze's modification of the former's process would 

 be fatal to its success in forming the salts of nitrous oxide. 



1 1 . There is some difficulty in selecting an appropriate name for the 

 new acid. That of hyponitrous acid naturally suggests itself, as being 

 framed according to the usual method of naming a rising series of oxygen 

 acids, and as associating the new acid with the similarly constituted acid 

 of chlorine; but I feel that in naming the nitrous-oxide acid regard 

 ought to be had to the possible existence of salts of nitric oxide, in which 

 several chemists have believed, indeed, and on better evidence, I think, after 

 a perusal of some of their papers, than is generally supposed. Now, if the 

 nitric-oxide acid should be discovered, and if the term " hyponitric " is to 

 be retained for the acid intermediate to the nitrous and nitric acids, the 

 term "hyponitrous" would belong by analogy to the nitric-oxide acid 

 rather than to the new acid. 



This difficulty, however, will vanish if the term hyponitric be allowed 

 to fall out of use and that of nitroso -nitric, already adopted by several 

 chemists, be generally substituted for it as the name of the nitrogen-per- 

 oxide acid; for then, the term "hyponitrous" being given to the new 

 acid, there remains the compound term " hyponitroso-nitrous " for the 

 nitric-oxide acid, should this acid ever be obtained. 



There will thus be the following series of names : — 



If, however, the terms "hyponitrous" and "hyponitric" are to be re- 

 tained for the second and fourth members of the above series, the term 

 " hydro-nitrosylic " may serve for the new acid, according to its consti- 

 tution : — 



I am at present engaged in the further study of this interesting acid 

 and its salts, and hope, before very long, to have the honour to make 

 known the obtained results to the Society. 



Hyponitrous acid 



Hyponitroso-nitrous acid 



Nitrous acid 



Nitroso-nitric acid 



Nitric acid 



HNO 



H 2 N 2 3 

 HN0 2 

 H 2 N 2 5 

 HN0 3 



Hydrogen. 

 H 



Nitrosyl. 

 NO 



Addendum, April 26, 1871. 

 When the above paper was presented to the Royal Society I was not 



