Cyanogen

A colorless inflammable poisonous gas C2N2 with a peach blossom odor so called from its tendency to form blue compounds obtained by heating ammonium oxalate mercuric cyanide etc It is obtained in combination forming an alkaline cyanide when nitrogen or a nitrogenous compound is strongly ignited with carbon and soda or potash It conducts itself like a member of the halogen group of elements and shows a tendency to form complex compounds The name is also applied to the univalent radical CN the half molecule of cyanogen proper which was one of the first compound radicals recognized