274 HAMAMELIDEiE. 



r* 



hemical Composition — The most abundant constituent of Styrax 



is probably the Storesin, C*^H'"(OH)^ discovered in 1877 by W. von 

 Miller, or rather cinnamic ethers of it and of an isomeric sutstanci^ 

 Storesin is an amorphous substance melting at 168° C, readily soluble 

 in petroleum ether. Several other compound ethers have also been 

 observed in the drug, as for instance cinnamic ether of p]i€nylproiy\jl, 

 cinnamic ether of ethyl, cinnamic ether of benzyl, and especially cinna- 

 mate of cinnamyl, CH'OlC^ff, the so-called Styracin. This substance, 

 discovered by Bonastre in 1827, can be removed by ether, benzol or 

 alcohol, after the separation from the resin of the cinnamic acid ; it is 

 insoluble in water, and volatile only in super-heated steam. It crystal- 

 lizes in tufts of long rectangular prisms, which melt at 38° C, but it 

 frequently does not solidify in a crystalline form, or only after a long 

 time, or remains as an oily liquid. In its pure state it is inodorous 

 and tasteless. By concentrated solution of potash, it is resolved jnto a 

 cinnamate, and cinnamic alcohol (Styrone) C'H'"'0, which latter is not 

 present in Liquid Storax. The cinnamic acid may be extracted to 

 a small extent by boiling water, more completely by means ot 

 a boiling solution of carbonate of sodium, as it is present m 

 the drug partly in the free state. Its compound ethers may be 

 decomposed by caustic lye. The yield of cinnamic acid accordingly 

 varies from 6 to 12 per cent.— or even, according to Lowe, as much as 

 23 per cent, of crystallized cinnamic acid can be obtained. The acid 

 dissolves abundantly in ether, alcohol, or hot water, slightly m coiQ 

 water ; it is inodorous, but has an acrid taste. It fuses at 133° 0-, an 

 boils at 290° C. ; at a dull red heat it is resolved into carbomc acid ana 

 styTol, which latter is therefore related to it in the same maimer aj 

 benzol (benzene) to benzoic acid. Liquid styrax is in fact the De> 

 source of cinnamic acid. , ;, 



Another constituent of styi^ax is a fragrant substance, pernap> 

 ethylvanillin, occurring in but small quantity. ., ; ,/ 



Laubenheimer (1872) has shown that probably Benzyhc^icvi. 

 C^ffO, boiling at 20G° C, likewise occurs in Liquid Storax ; ^^^ has i ^ 

 been found by Miller. The latter chemist also showed that ^\^^^ 

 removes from the drug a little benzoic acid ; he observed mo|'eo ^ 

 substance similar to caoutchouc among the constituents of liq|"y ^^V^^j 



There is further to be mentioned as having been met with in u\^ 

 Storax a hydrocarbon, C^H^ first prepared by Simon m IboJ, 

 exists in the resin as a liquid, and also in a polymeric form as a^ ^^ 

 The former called Styrol, Cinnamene, or Cinnamol, has a sp. o/.^ 

 0-924, and a boiling point of 146° 0. It is a colourless, f'^f^ \\^^ 

 which may be obtained by distilling with water liquid stoia-^. ^^^ 

 odour and burning taste of which it possesses. When Ideated lo ^^^ 

 siderable time to 100°, or for a shorter period to 200 O. ^^ .gnt 

 verted without change of composition into the colourless, tranF^^^^ 

 sohd Metadyrol, which, unlike styrol, is not soluble in akohoi u ^^^^^ 

 It has a sp. gr. of 1054, and may be cut with a knife, -oy pi » 

 heating, it can be converted into its original liquid form. .jfjcially 



Styrol is to be regarded as phenylated etliylenc ; it can be a^ 

 obtained by shaking powdered cinnamic acid with satuiaj ^.^^^ 

 %^i;ronnc acid, when crystalline hydrobromated f^"^" „„rts of 

 C«H«.CH^.CHBr.C0OH, is formed. One part of the latter, 10 P^^ 



