534 M. Lallemand on Thymole, 



If we represent acetic aether, binacetate of glycol, and triace- 

 tate of glycerine, by the following formulae, — 



(C^ H3 0«), C4 H^ 0, or A^ C^ H^ 0, acetate of aethyle, 



(C* H8 0^)2, C* H* 0«, or Ai* C^ H* 0», binacetate of glycol, 



(C* H3 03)8, Q6 H5 Qs^ or Ae3 C« H^ O^trinacetate of glycerine, 



we see the application to organic chemistry of the law in mineral 

 chemistry, that the number of equivalents of acid which saturates 

 a base is in relation with the number of equivalents of oxygen 

 which it contains. 



In the oil of thyme a solid crystallizable matter is contained, 

 to which the name thymole has been given; its formula is 

 (^20 jji4Q2^ and it is hence homologous with hydrated oxide of 

 .phenyle, C'^H^'O^. Its discoverer, Lallemand, has been work- 

 ing out its analogy with this substance, and has arrived at some 

 interesting results*. By the action upon it of nitric acid he has 



obtained a compound, trinitrothymic acid, ^'^^ o(^c\4,\ ^^ homo- 



logons with trinitrophenic or picric acid, C5^^q/T\jrv4\02, and which 



offers in its physical properties the greatest similarity with this 

 latter acid. By acting upon thymole with chlorine, various sub- 

 stitution products are obtained, one of which, pentachlorinated 



thymole y C^^ pif 0^, forms hard colourless crystals of the same 



form as the thymole itself. These fuse without alteration at 

 98° C, and are decomposed at a temperature of 200° C. into 

 carbon, hydi'ochloric acid, a new carburetted hydrogen, and a sohd 

 substance, which, when purified, crystallizes from alcohol in silky 



JJ4 



needles. It has the formula C^* ^14 0*, and may be regarded as 



a derivative of the body C^'* H^ 0^, isomeric with benzoic alcohol, 

 and the homologue of hydrated oxide of phenyle and of thymole. 

 It might be called quadrichlorinated benzinole. 



The new carburetted hydrogen is a homologue of marsh gas. 

 It bums with a beautiful white flame, and combines with chlo- 

 rine in equal volumes. Its density at zero is 1*15, and it is 

 not liquefied at 20° below zero. Its formula is C'*!!^; marsh 

 gas, at a condensation of 4 volumes, being C* H"*. Lallemand 

 n2ime% it hiformene. mIt ,/_- 



The decomposition by whicM jit is obtained may be thus ex- 

 pressed: — -^ *' '' 



* Comptes Rendus, August 18, 1866, p. 3/5. 



