OF ARTS AND SCIENCES. 



297 



The hydroquinone is difficultly soluble in most organic solvents in 

 ihe cold. It dissolves in alkalies with pale yellow color, changing 

 quickly to dark green and yellow. An alcoholic solution gives with 

 ferric chloride a blood-red coloration (vide the quinone). 



The most noteworthy property of this substance is the ease with 

 which it loses water going over into a benzofurfuran derivative. 



Trichlor p-oxyhenzofurfuran a-methyl ^-carhoxylic Ether, 

 CI O 



CI 



HO 



CH, 



(a) 



COaC.Hs (i8) 



CI 



One part of trichlorhydroquinoneacetoacetic ether is dissolved in 10 

 parts of acetic acid, and, after adding a few drops of concentrated sul- 

 phuric acid, the solution is boiled for about an hour, or until on add- 

 ing water to a portion a white precipitate is obtained which is not 

 affected by ferric chloride. On adding a small amount of water to 

 the hot acetic acid solution, the furfuran derivative crystallizes out in 

 colorless transparent needles melting at 138°. The substance was 

 recrystallized once from acetic acid, dried at 110°, and analyzed. 



0.2530 gram substance gave 0.4131 gram CO2 and 0.0672 gram H2O. 

 0.2005 " " " 0.2638 " AgCl (Carius). 



Theory for Ci^HgClA- 



C 44.51 



H 2.71 



CI 32.92 



Found. 



44.53 



2.95 



32.54 



The substance is easily soluble in chloroform, less so in alcohol, 

 ether, and cold acetic acid ; it gives no coloration in alcoholic solution 

 with ferric chloride, and dissolves in alkalies forming a colorless solu- 

 tion. On warming with concentrated sulphuric acid, a dark reddish 

 blue coloration is obtained, which is very characteristic of the sub- 

 stance, as well as of all benzofurfuran derivatives. On heating with 

 alcoholic potash, it is saponified to the corresponding monobasic acid. 



