Note 41 — Chapter IX · COMPOUNDS OF CARBON WITH OXYGEN AND NITROGEN
George Kamensky translation
It has an important historical interest, more especially as at that time such an easy preparation of substances occurring in organisms without the aid of organic life was quite unexpected, for they were supposed to be formed under the influence of the forces acting in organisms, and without the latter their formation was considered impossible. And in addition to destroying this illusion, the easy transition of NH4OCN into CO(NH2)2 is the best example of the passage of one system of equilibrium of atoms into another more stable system.