294 M. Cannizaro on Anisic Alcohol. 



for preparing these bodies by heating glycol with bromide of 

 ethylene, a liquid is formed containing, besides water and hydro- 

 bromic acid, a series of polyethylenic alcohols. By repeating 

 this operation on a large scale, and by fractional distillation, he 

 obtained diethylenic and triethylenic alcohols. The residue 

 could not be distilled under the atmospheric pressure without 

 decomposition. But by distilling it under a pressure of 0-025 

 millim., three compounds have been isolated. The first, tetrethy- 



lenic alcohol, € 8 H 18 5 = 4(G2 j^ |o 5 , boils at 230° under this 



pressure ; it is identical in properties with the body obtained by 

 Wurtz. 



Pentethylenic alcohol, € 10 fl*QP= B (& H*! 9 "' b ° ils &t 281 ° 

 under the pressure 0*025 millim. It is a viscous liquid resem- 

 bling glycerine. 



The third compound, hexethylenic alcohol, 



G i2 H 26 7 = 6 ( C2 I^)\o7 j 



boils at about 325°, and is distinguished from the former by its 

 greater viscosity. 



If the operation were conducted on a sufficiently large scale, 

 the higher homologous compounds could be obtained. They 



have the general formula n \ IU io w+1 . They are more vis- 

 cous in proportion as their equivalent is higher, and there is a 

 difference of about 45° between their boiling-points. Lourenco 

 has examined the direct action of hydrobromic glycol on glycol, 

 the lowest member of the series, and he represents the general 

 equation for their formation in the following manner : — 



^*?W +J + € T}°= (,,+ 1)(0i g?}^ +f + HBr. 



Br 



The hydrobromic acid formed reacts on the excess of glycol 

 and regenerates the hydrobromic glycol, which in turn acts on 

 the higher polyethylenic alcohols. Hence it is that no other 

 bromine compound than hydrobromic glycol is formed, whatever 

 be the stage at which the reaction is interrupted. 



Anisic alcohol, € 8 H 10 9 2 , contains twice as much oxygen as 

 the ordinary alcohols ; and it may be regarded either as an 

 alcohol containing an oxygen radical, or as being analogous to 

 the class of glycols. In the former case its formula would be 



written ^^lo, and in the latter €8 ^ 8 /}o 2 . On the 



