262 
ON AQUA REGIA. 
mation of a base, which combining with the least powerful 
oxidating means, resulting from the partial deoxidation of 
the nitric and hyponitric acids, it yields a nitric salt. 
27. On allowing concentrated nitric acid to act, for in- 
stance, on acetone C 5 H 12 2 , two combinations are obtained 
(C 6 HeO+'N,) (C 6 H6+H) which result from thedehydrogenat- 
ing action of this acid ; the elements of the base C 6 H 6 0, in 
this case, are present in the acetone. 
If, however, this acid is allowed to act on mesitylen, it 
likewise produces an oxidating effect ; there results, 
C 6 H 8 + N= (OH 8 + H ) + N, 
because the radical C 6 H 8 requires oxygen to form a base. 
That the reaction takes place in the mariner indicated by 
the above equation is proved by the fact, that the chlorine 
forms with the same substance a base corresponding to 
nitrate of oxide of pteleyl, acting simultaneously as a dehy- 
drogenating and chloridising means. 
Owing to the existence of the radical pteleyl forming an 
oxide with oxygen, which sometimes combines with nitric 
acid, and on other occasions with water, chlorine, and nitric 
acid with mesitylen yield combinations, which bear no parallel, 
though the reaction of these agents is in fact one and the 
same ; this, however, is merely meant according to the hypo- 
thesis of Berzelius, as, according to that by which the hypo- 
nitric acid is considered as a radical, we cannot account for 
this fact, since the nitric acid, by reacting on the mesitylen, 
gives no combination, into which the hyponitric acide enters 
as a constituent ; hence it does not yield a combination con- 
stituted in a manner analogous to that of the product resulting 
from the reaction of chlorine or mesitylen. 
28. If water be added to a hot solution of benzin in nitrous 
acid, it will be formed — 
C 12 H 10 + N = (C 12 H 10 O + N.) 
That this fresh combination is not a corresponding one to 
(C 12 H 10 + S,) but a salt formed by the combination of the pro- 
