ODOUR OF THE HAYFIELDS. 139 
tion of phenol and other substances. On fusion with potash it is 
decomposed into salicylic and acetic acids. 
Ethylcoumarin was obtained by Perkin, who named it Butyric 
coumarin. Itsmells like ordinary coumarin, and at the same time 
like fresh honey *. It is produced by heating sodium salicylol 
with butyric anhydride, boiling the product for a few minutes, and 
then pouring it into water, distilling the oil which separates, and 
collecting the portion which passes above 290°. It melts at 
70°-71°, solidifies to a crystalline mass on cooling, and distils 
with slight decomposition at 296°-297°. It dissolves sparingly 
in boiling water, easily in alcohol and ether. From alcohol the 
compound crystallizes in large translucent prisms. Ethylcoumarin 
is converted by boiling with caustic potash into Butyrocoumaric 
acid, which crystallizes from dilute alcohol in flat prisms and 
melts at 174° with decomposition f. 
B-Methylcoumarin, C,)H;O2, is formed by the action of con- 
centrated sulphuric acid on a mixture of phenol and aceto-acetic 
ether ; this substance is very similar to coumarin, and crystallizes 
from benzene in needles which melt at 125°-126° f. 
Dimethylcoumarin is formed by the action of sulphuric acid on 
a mixture of paracresol and aceto-acetic ether, and crystallizes 
from dilute alcohol in long, strongly refractive needles, melting 
at 148° §. 
Paracoumarhydrin, C,H,O0;.—This substance, which is meta- 
meric with coumaric acid, is formed when paracotein, CyyH:Og, is 
heated with caustic potash, and crystallizes in plates which smell 
hike coumarin and melt at 82°-83°. An acid very similar to 
piperonylic acid is also formed in the reaction; it is very similar 
to the piperonylic acid which occurs with paracotein in Paracoto 
bark ||. Paracoumarhydrin appears, therefore, to be homologous 
with piperonal. 
There are other artificially prepared compounds possessing this 
perfume, amongst which are Thallin and its salts, These salts 
are manufactured for medicinal purposes as antipyretics and anti- 
* Journ, Chem. Soe. (2) vi. pp. 53, 472. 
Tt Ibid. 1881, i. p. 439. 
¢ Ber. Deutsch. chem. Ges. xvi. p. 2127. 
§ Ibid. xvi. p. 2119, and xvii. p. 2187. 
|| Ann, Chem. Pharm. exix. p. 30. 
