1 go FIFERA GE^j. 



underwent decomposition on boiling. The sp. gr, of the phenol 



was 1-067 at 15° C. Examination of the oxidation products, 



acetyl compound and methyl ether^ showed that this compound 



was not eugenol, but an isomer, the composition of the new 



compound (iso-eugenol) and of eugenol being represented aa 

 follows : 



Iso-eugenol. Eugenol. 



rC^ H» (1) #0^H^ (1) 



C H^ A OH (3) C W \ OCH (3) 



LOO H^ (4) t OH (4) 



250' 



il boiled practically between 

 areeable tea-like odour, and 



consisted for the greater part of a sesquiterpene C H'\ 

 cubebene, which is characterized by its dihydrochlorate melting 



at 117''— 118° 0. 



^ 



Meeting 



reported that among the constituents of the essential oil distilled 

 from fresh betle leaves, he had found a characteristic compound, 

 having the odour of the leaves and the constitution of parallyl- 

 phenol, which he designated "chavicoV About the same time 

 Messrs. Schimmel announced that the phenol present in the 

 higher-boiling factions of the oil distilled from air-dried betle 

 leaves corresponded completely with eugenol, though sub- 

 sequently they made the modified statement that the phenol obtain- 

 ed by them was not eugenol, but an isomer {F/mrm. Jouni. [3], 

 xix., 803.) With a view to clearing up the apparent contra- 

 diction. Prof. Eijkman has re-examined the oil distilled by 



himself 



by Messrs. Schimmel, with the result of confirming the presence 

 in the former of chavicol, boiling at 236° to 238° C, and in the 

 latter of the isomer of eugenol, boiKng at 254° to 255°, which 

 proved to be orthomethoxychavicol {Benchte, xxii., 2735). 

 At would ^em probable, therefore, that both phenols occur in the 

 leaves, and that chavicol being the more volatile, had practically 



disappeared from the dried 

 tion adopted by Messrs. Schi 



oured the more complete 



I 



