( 724) 



and investigated by myself '), was treated by me in this way '). 

 The greater half of the ocimene operated upon was recovered 

 unaltered while a small portion underwent polymerisation. At the 

 same time an alcohol was formed, the quantity of which was about 

 10% of the ocimene used. This alcohol was an agreeably smelling 

 liquid, which gave the following constants : 



sp. gr.„ nd,5 B. p. at 10 mm. Mol. Refraction (M.R.) 



0.901 1.1900 97° 49.22 



(calculated for Ci„H„01= is: MR = 48.86) 



The analysis had given the composition C,„HjgO. 

 Tills alcohol, probably an aliphatic terpene alcohol is, therefore, 

 formed by the addition of the elements of water to ocimene. In 

 properties it does not correspond with any of the already known 

 aliphatic terpene alcohols, as is shown by the following table: 



B.p. at 10 mm. 



116° 



112° 



99° 



86° 



On account of its formation from ocimene, I call this new alcohol 

 ocimenol. The investigation of this ocimenol is still of a provisional 

 character. 



The beautifully crystallised phenylurethane, which I could prepare 

 from it in good yield, renders it possible to characterise and readily 

 investigate the alcohol. This urethane, when recrystallised from dilute 

 alcohol, forms white needle shaped crystals, which melt without 

 decomposition at 72°, whilst according to the analysis, it has the 

 composition Cj, H^ 0, N. I am still occupied with the regeneration 

 of ocimenol from its urethane and the closer investigation of these 

 substances ; however from the fair yield of this urethane, and the 

 absence of oily by-products, it seems that the product obtained from 

 ocimene is mainly a simple alcohol. 



For me, the study of this alcohol was of particular importance 

 as I wanted to compare ocimene in this respect with myrcene. 

 Several investigators have been already occupied with the alcohol, 



1) Compare my previous paper and my dissertation. 



2) 1 worked according to the directions of Power and Kleber. 100 parts of 

 terpene were heated with 250 parts of glacial acetic acid and 10 parts of 507o 

 sulphuric acid for three hours at 40\ 



> *) Nerol is distinguished from geraniol by a more delicate odour of roses, by 

 not combining with calcium chloride and by yielding a diphenylurethane melting at 52°. 



