Hydroxylamine, NH2OH (oxyammonia), is an unstable substance only to be had in weak solutions. It forms many salts, two of which, the sulphate, 2(NH2OH.)H2SO4, and the hydrochloride, NH2OH.HCl, are to be found in commerce.

My attention was first directed to this substance, hydroxylamine, by seeing a reference to the work of Loew and Bokorny on the chemical constitution of protoplasm, and to their theory that there is present in it a group of atoms of the nature of an aldehyde. To this group of atoms they attribute the energy of living protoplasm, and state, in support of this, that hydroxylamine, which is said to have a strong affinity for aldehyde, rapidly kills protoplasm in algæ and the young shoots of plants.

My intention was to use both hydroxylamine and its salts upon some forms of animal protoplasm, but so far the hydrochlorate is, the only preparation that has been available. This salt is easily soluble in water and is extremely acid. It is difficult to neutralise it exactly, as at a certain point it reacts to both red and blue litmus simultaneously. Solutions of 1 per cent, strength were employed almost entirely.