OP ARTS AND SCIENCES. 13 



Isohutylether of Turmerol. 



This body was prepared by boiling the sodium compound with iso- 

 butyliodide in a flask with a return-condenser for some time ; the 

 product was purified by distillation in vacuo. 



I. 0.2110 g. of substance gave 0.6524 g. of COg and 0.2039 g. of 

 11. 0.2742 g. of substance gave 0.8520 g. of COg and 0.2646 g. of 



H,0. 



Calculated for Cj5,H270CiH9. Found. 



I. II. 



Carbon 84.14 84.45 84.71 



Hydrogen 10.97 10.73 10.83 



It is a heavy yellowish oil with a pleasant smell. The ethylether 

 is a similar substance. 



From the observations described there can be no doubt that tur- 

 merol is an alcohol. 



Oxidation of Turmerol. 



When turmerol was treated with a hot aqueous solution of potassic 

 permanganate until it was no longer decolorized, and after destroying 

 the slight excess of permanganate with sodic sulphite the liquid was 

 filtered from the brown hydrate of manganese, upon adding sulphuric 

 acid a yellowish-white precipitate was thrown down, which, purified by 

 washing with alcohol, became perfectly white, and volatilized without 

 melting, indicating that it was terephthalic acid. To prove that this 

 was the case, the acid was converted into the methylester by passing 

 hydrochloric acid through methylalcohol, in which it was suspended. 

 The solid gradually dissolved, and upon allowing the alcohol to evapor- 

 ate, long prisms were deposited, which, after two crystallizations from 

 hot alcohol, melted at 139°-140°. Melting-point of methylester of 

 terephthalic acid 140°. Another sample of the acid was analyzed, — 



0.1782 g. of substance gave 0.3798 g. of COg and 0.0641 of Hp. 



Calculated for CgllgOi. Found. 



Carbon 57.83 58.12 



Hydrogen 3.62 4.00 



The product in this case, therefore, is terephthalic acid, and turmerol 

 must stand in close relationship to the para series of aromatic com- 

 pounds. It is probably a derivative of the terpenes. 



The formation of terephthalic acid from turmeric oil also explains 



