( 545 ) 



alcoholic potash yields acetic acid, whicli was converted into the silver 

 salt. A silver determination gave 64.2 %. theory 64.67 °/„. 



The alcohol formed on saponitleation was a colorless snbstance 

 crystallising in long, thin needles and melting at 195° (corr. ni. p. 

 197°— i97.°5). 



The elementary analysis (with lead chromate) gave.- 



Calculated for C,„H5„0. 

 C 84.27, 84.12, 84.32 84.50 



H 11.97, 11.91, 11.99 11.76 



This alcohol has also a dextrorotatory power. In a cliloroform solution 

 it has [«]d=:88°, and in a benzene solution [«]d = 98°. 



On treatment with benzoyl chloride and pyridine, the alcohol readily 

 yields a benzoate which crystallises in beautiful rectangular little 

 plates and melts at 230° (corr. m.p. 234°— 235°). 



After perusing the literature, it now appeared that the alcohol 

 melting at 195° is identical with ^-amyrine which occurs in elemi 

 resin and has been investigated and described with great care by 

 Vesterberg '). Not only do the melting points of the alcohol obtained 

 from Payena Leerii-gutta percha and "djelutung", of the acetate 

 and the benzoate agree perfectly with the melting points determined 

 by Vesterberg for (?-amyrine and its acetate and benzoate, but in 

 addition the values found for the specific rotatory power of the alcohol 

 from "djelutung" and its acetate differ so little from those which he 

 states for /?-amyrine and its acetate ^) that the ditference may be safely 

 ascribed to experimental errors caused by working with dilute solutions. 



(J-Amyrine has also been found afterwards by Tschirch ') in the 

 resin of Protiuni Carana. It is stated, however, to ditfer from the 

 common (ï-amyrine by being oittically inactive, which seems some- 

 what strange. It should be remarked, however, that the cinnamic 

 ester of lupeol described by Tschirch ') about the same period under 

 the name of crystal-albane was also declared to be inactive, although 

 we have found this substance ha\'ing a decided dextrorotatory power. 

 A further investigation is therefore a desideratum. 



Marek *) has obtained from the milky juice of Asclepias syriaca a 

 substance melting at 232° — 233°, the melting point of which could 

 be raised by repeated crystallisation to 239° — 240". Its analysis led 



1) B. B. 20 (1887) S. 1242; 23 (1890) S. 3196. 



2) Vesterberg states for (3-amyriue (in benzene) [z]lj = 99°.81. 



for the acetate (in benzene) [a]D = 78°. 6. 



3) Arch. il. Phaim. 241 S. 149. 

 1) Ibid 241 S. 4S3. 



^) Journ. prakt. Clhein. M. OS (1903) S. 385 ami 449. 



38* 



