THE ALUMNI JOURNAL 69 



At this temperature the introduction of the hydrochloric acid gas 

 into the toluene solution determines an immediate precipitation of 

 water. When a molecule of the gas has been absorbed, it is found 

 that the quantity of water eliminated, after deducting the weight of 

 the h3'drochloric acid dissolved, corresponds with the equation 

 C„H,,OH+HCl^QoHi,Cl+H,0 



On rectification of the product of the reaction, suitably neu- 

 tralised and freed from toluene, bodies are obtained, with fixed boil- 

 ing points in vacuo, with a yield of 80 per cent, in the case, of 

 geraniol and 60 per cent, in that of linalool, containing about 90 

 per cent, of hydrochloric ester, CioHi^Cl. A more thorough rectifi- 

 cation, enabling the pure esters to be obtained, decreases this 

 yield, but it should be remarked that this rectificaton is particularly 

 difificult owing to the fact that these alcohols and their hydrochloric 

 esters have boiling points very close together. 



The estimation of chlorine in these hydrochloric esters is very 

 simple. In fact, if they are placed in contact with an alcoholic 

 solution of silver nitrate in the cold, there is an instantaneous pre- 

 cipitation of silver chloride. We have ascertained that the num- 

 bers thus obtained by this direct method coincide with those af- 

 forded by the usual methods for the estimation of chlorine in 

 organic compounds. For instance, for one of these compounds, 

 there were found. 



By the lime method €1=20.49 per cent. 



" " direct " €1=20.52 " 



This method, moreover, had already been employed by Reychler. 



As will be seen later, we have utilised this double decomposition 

 for passing from the hydrochloric ester to the corresponding alcohol 

 by excluding, we believe, all chance of a molecular transpostion. 



We shall now enter into the details of our experiments beginning 

 with the results obtained at 100° C. which are the sharpest and most 



interesting. 



I. — Action of gaseous hydrogen chloride 



on linalool on heating. 

 The linalool employed was the laevo-linalool extracted from the 

 Cayenne oil of female rose-wood. Its constants were as follows : 

 B. P. (6 mm.) .... 83°-85° C. 



D,o 0.8027 



[a]"^ —15.49^ 



< 1.4643 



