579 



An indirect method was employed corresponding to the way in 

 which the geraniol was estimaled by phthalic anhydride. The appa- 

 ratus consisted of a small flask with long neck lo wliich a ground 

 in U-tnbe was altaciied. Into the tlask there was always weighed 

 2 c.c. of citronellal and 2 c.c. of the acetic anhydride mixture. 

 5 c.c. of \\ n KOH were placed in the U-tiihe, which was filled 

 with a soda-lime tnbe. 



Acetic anhydride content of tiie 

 mixture 



7o 



Quantity of citronellal 

 esterified in "/o 



A B 



Mean 



When the dnration of heating was increased from 2 hours to 3 

 honrs, the amount of citronellal esterified was also increased. On 

 nsing 95 ' ,„ acetic anhydride, 40.1 7o ^"^ ^'^'^ ^2.9 "/o aidiydride, 

 76.7 Vo <Jt t'i6 citronellal was esterified. 



CMearly the presence of acetic acid in the mixture favours the 

 esterification of the citronellal. It miglit be concluded, that the 

 citronellal which is not esterified, is nevertheless transformed in 

 some other way, for instance into a terpene or similar body. In 

 order to investigate this point larger quantities of the various products 

 were prepared in the manner in which the estimation of the so 

 called total geraniol content is carried out (Bericht of Schimmkl & 

 Co April 1910, 155). 



A portion of each product was examined by means of |)hthalic 

 anhydride for the presence of alcohols, of another portion the 

 saponification number was determined in the ordinary way and a 

 third portion was acetylated by the indirect method, by heating 

 2 c.c. of the product with 2 c.c. of acetic anhydride of 95 7o '^"d 

 0.2 grm. of sodium acetate f'or 3 hours. 



38 



Proceedings Royal Acad. Amsterdam. Vol. XXI. 



