The investigation of these latter products could not be brought 
to a finish for want of material; moreover, they are only produced 
in small quantities. 
From the foregoing it appears that the action of acids and alkalis 
on unsaturated @-oxyacids does not always take the course indicated 
by Firric. No y-ketonic acid was formed by the action of acid but 
only a small quantity of an «-ketonie acid, although Firria had 
observed the formation of y-ketonie acid from @-oxypentenoic acid. 
Apparently a shifting of the double bond has taken place in the 
AP? a-hydroxybutenoie acid, under the influence of acids or alkalis 
causing the formation of intermediate A” «-hydroxybutenoic acid: 
CH, : CH. CH (OH) COOH — CH, CH: C(OH) COOH 
a change already repeatedly noticed in the case of other acids. 
Such a combination of OH with the double-bonded C-atom is, 
however, not stable and must pass into the isomeric keto-compound. 
CH,.CH = COH — COOH — CH; — CH, — CO — COOH 
By the action of alkalis on phenyl-e-oxycrotonic acid, Firmieé 
obtained this same change almost quantitatively, whilst in the case 
of a@-hydroxybutenoic acid a dibasic acid is formed (probably a 
hydride of oxyphthalic acid), for instance: 
H 
Fl re 
H,C = C — C—COOH 
x 
OH 
— H,0. 
H 
ie 
H,C = C — C—COOH 
H is 
OH 
