NITRIC ACID

n. Nit'ri'k. Lat., acidum nitricum (seu azoticum, seu septicnm), aqua fortis. Fr., acide nitrique (ou azotique, ou nitreux blanc). Ger!, Sal peters a ure. Syn.: spirit of nitre, hydrogen nitrate. A monobasic acid, HNO3; a colorle liquid of peculiar odor and fuming on contact with the air. It has a strong affinity for moisture, and is a powerfully corrosive agent, attacking organic ti ues with great energy and leaving a yellow indelible stain. It also attacks most of the metals, di olving them with the formation of nitrates. Gold, platinum, cerium, chromium, and some others of the rarer metals are not affected by it. The sp. gr. of the concentrated acid, containing not more than 0'5 per cent, of water, is T53 at 15 C. The strongest acid obtainable contains 99'80 per cent, of the pure acid, and is decomposed at ordinary temperature. N. a. has been used internally in intermittent fever, in diarrhoeal diseases, in whooping-cough, and as a tonic, especially in syphilis, and topically as a caustic. [B; "Proc. of the Am. Pharm. A oc.," vii, p. 76, x, p. 140 (a, 50).] Alcoholic n. a. Lat., acidum nitricum alcohol is a tum (seu alcool is a tum [Fr. Cod.]) (q. v.). A distillate of 1 part of n. a. with 3 parts of alcohol. [B.] See Spiritus.ETHERIS NITROSI and ACIDE azotique alcoolise. O, no; O2, not; O3, whole; Th, thin; Th, the; U, like oo in too; 305 [s. 107]