Note 38 — Chapter VI · TTHE COMPOUNDS OF NITROGEN WITH HYDROGEN AND OXYGEN

The nitro-compounds play a very important part in mining and artillery. Detailed accounts of them must be looked for in special works, among which the works of A. R. Shuliachenke and T. M. Chelletsoff occupy an important place in the Russian literature on this subject, although historically the scientific works of Abel in England and Berthelot in France stand pre-eminent. The latter elucidated much in connection with explosive compounds by a series of both experimental and theoretical researches. Among explosives a particularly important place from a practical point of view is occupied by ordinary or black gunpowder (Chapter XIII., Note 16), fulminating mercury (Chapter XVI., Note 26), the different forms of gun-cotton (Chapter VI., Note 37), and nitro-glycerine (Chapter VIII., Note 45, and Chapter XII., Note 33). The latter when mixed with solid pulverulent substances, like magnesia, tripoli, &c., forms dynamite, which is so largely used in quarries and mines in driving tunnels, &c. We may add that the simplest true nitro-compound, or marsh gas, CH4, in which all the hydrogens are replaced by NO2 groups has been obtained by L. N. Shishkoff, C(NO2)4, as well as nitroform, CH(NO2)3.