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SELECTED ARTICLES. 
two binary compounds, the oxide of carbon, and a peculiar 
nitruret of hydrogen,* containing less hydrogen than ammonia, 
and which has not as yet been obtained in a separate state. 
Oxamide then may be written with this formula — 
C 2 2 +NH 2 . 
Of the two compounds it is necessary to inquire which 
plays the negative part, and we come easily to the result by 
the following considerations: It is known, that in general 
when any body decomposes water, it separates the hydrogen 
by means of its negative element, and the oxygen by its po- 
sitive element. But since oxamide in passing to the state of 
oxalate of ammonia, decomposes water, it would appear that 
the nitruret of hydrogen, which separates the hydrogen 
should be the negative element, and the oxide of carbon 
which unites with the oxygen would play the positive part in 
the compound. 
The reasoning which we have set forth with regard to 
oxamide, may be applied to urea, which, in fact, contains — 
2 atoms of - - Carbon, 
2 " - - - Oxygen, 
2 " - - - Nitrogen, 
4 "... Hydrogen. 
It acts in every respect like oxamide, and is changed into car- 
bonate of ammonia, or rather into carbonic acid and ammonia, 
by the decomposition of water under the operation of nume- 
rous influences. Its formula, decomposed according to these 
considerations, would become — 
C 2 2 +N 2 H 4 . 
Here again appears the oxide of carbon and the nitruret of 
hydrogen already recognised in the oxamide. Here likewise, 
for the same considerations, it is the oxide of carbon which 
* To this hypothetical compound the name amidogene has been applied. 
