AMYL NITRITE (isoamyl nitrite), C5H11  .ONO, a liquid prepared by passing nitrous fumes (from

starch and concentrated nitric acid) into warm isoamyl alcohol; or by distilling a mixture of 26 parts of potassium nitrite in 15 parts of water with 30 parts of isoamyl alcohol in 30 parts of sulphuric: acid (Renard, Jahresb., 1874, p . 352) . It is a yellow-coloured liquid of specific gravity o•877, boiling at about 95°—96° C . It has a characteristic penetrating odour, and produces marked effects on the system when its vapour is inhaled . It is insoluble in water, but dissolves readily in alcohol, ether, glacial acetic acid, chloroform and benzene . On heating with methyl alcohol it is converted into isoamyl alcohol, methyl nitrite being produced at the same time; a similar reaction takes place with ethyl alcohol, but the change is less complete . It is readily decomposed by nascent hydrogen, with the formation of ammonia and isoamyl alcohol; and on hydrolysis with caustic potash it forms potassium nitrite and isoamyl alcohol . When the liquid is dropped on to fused caustic potash, it forms potassium valerate . Amyl nitrite finds application in medicine, and in the preparation of anhydrous diazonium salts (E . Knoevenagel, Berichie, 1890, 23, p . 2094) .