VIOLET AND OKKIS. 455 



which the odour of the flowers of the violet and the rhizome of the 

 orris, is due. (These observers being of opinion that the odorous 

 principle developed in both plants is identical ; an opinion which 

 is most likely erroneous). They now state in a Memoir presented 

 to the French Academy of Sciences,* that the odorous principle of 

 orris rootf is a Ketone C,., H.^^ 0, which they name Irone and 

 which may be isolated by the following process : — The extract 

 obtained by exhausting the orris root with ether is distilled in a 

 strong current of steam ; the educt is a mixture consisting 

 principally of 



1 — Myristic acid, oleic acid and other fatty acids. 



2 — The methylic ethers of those acids. 



3 — Traces of oleic aldehyde. 



4 — Neutral substances, in very minute quantity. 



5 — Irone. 



This mixture is to be dissolved in alcohol, and an alcoholic 

 solution of hydrate of potash then added to form potash salts of 

 the free acids and to saponify the ethers. Water is then added, 

 the neutral oils taken up w^ith ether, and the residue distilled in a 

 current of steam. The irone passes over with the first portions, 

 and after repeated rectification a body is obtained, giving the 

 characteristic reactions of a Ketone, but still containing small 

 (quantities of oleic aldehyde and other impurities, to free it from 

 which it is heated with oxide of silver and water, and the separated 

 crude irone transformed into its hydrazone by exposing it for 

 several days to the action of phenyl-hydrazine in equimolecular 

 proportions. The resulting mass is then distilled in a current of 

 steam, to remove the excess of hydrazine and other impurities. 

 Dilute sulphuric acid is added to the oily substance which remains 

 in the retort, and pure irone passes over on distillation. 



Irone is an oil freely soluble in alcohol, ether, chloroform, etc. 

 Under a pressure of 16 m. m., it boils at 144^ C. Its sp. gr. is 

 0-939 and its index of refraction n^ = 1-50113. It is dextrogyre, 

 and forms a crystalline oxime which melts at 121^-5 and is trans- 

 formed into the hydrocarbon Irene Cj., H^^, when acted upon by 



* Comptes Rendus, cxvii., p. 548, 23rd Oct., 1893. 



t The raw material having been supplied to them by Laire et Cie. of Paris 

 and Haarmann and Reimer of Holzminden. 



