Fhenyl Compounds — Oil ofEsdragon. 3 7 



Phenyl Compounds. 

 Laurent has prepared a new volatile crystallizable body 

 from coal-tar, whose formula is C'^ H^o O + 2 aq, and which 

 he names hydrate of phenyl. With potassium it gives a cry- 

 stalline compound, C'^ H^o O + K O, and combines directly 

 with baryta without giving off water. With sulphuric acid 

 it gives the phenosulphuric acid, the baryta salt of which is 

 C12 Hio O, H- O, S 03+ Ba O, S O^. This. salt, when distil- 

 led, gives hydrate of phenyl. The phenosulphate of ammo- 

 nia, when treated with nitric acid, yields sulphuric acid, water 

 ammonia and picrinnitric acid. Chlorine gives with hydrate of 

 phenyl the well-known chlorophenesicacid, C^^ H^ CI'* O + aq, 

 and afterwards the chlorophenisic acid, C*'^ H'* CF O + aq. 

 With bromine an analogous bromophenisic acid is obtained. 

 Nitric acid gives at first nitrophenesic (or pheneso-nitric) acid, 

 which is yellow, crystallizable, forms red and yellow salts, and 

 has the formula C^^^ H^ N^* O^ 3 aq ; and then it produces ni- 

 trophenisic (phenisonitric) acid, by which name the author 

 now represents picrinnitric acid, = C'^^ H"* W O^^, aq. 

 When phenesonitric acid is treated with bromine a yellow 

 crystalline acid is obtained, which forms beautiful salts. For- 

 mula C^- H* Br^ N* 09, aq, and which is converted by the 

 continued action of nitric acid into picrinnitric acid. By 

 treating chlorophenisic acid with nitric acid, chloride of phenyl 

 is obtained in golden yellow scales, C^ H-* CI"* O ; the bromide 

 cannot be obtained in this manner. If the chlorophenisic 

 acid is prepared by acting on coal-tar with chlorine, chloride 

 of albin is formed at the same time ; it is a volatile body, cry- 

 stallizes in white needles, is not altered by potash. Formula 

 Q\2 JJ12 Q[4^ Phenesonitric, picrinnitric, chlorophenisic and 

 bromophenisic acids are isomorphous, and moreover the pot- 

 ash and ammonia salts of phenisonitric (picrinnitric) acid.— 

 Comptes Rendus, xii,, a?id Pharmac. Centralblatl., No, 38. 



Oil of Esdragon. 

 It has been already stated in our reports, that Laurent had 

 examined this oil; the impure oil is C^- H"" O^. It is con- 

 verted by nitric acid, into three new acids, which are either 

 wholly or partially volatile and crystallizable: — Draconic acid, 

 Q.)2 jj2(> Qio + 2 aq. ; nitro-draconnassic acid (draconasso- 

 nitric),'C*^ H^* W 0''*,2 aq ; and nitrodraconessic (draconesso- 

 nitric) acid, C^ H22 W O*** 2 aq. The atoms of water in each 

 can be replaced by bases. The oil forms with chlorine a body, 

 the formula of which is C*'^ H^" O'* CI'-*, which, when treated 

 with potassa, forms chloride of potassium and chloride of dra- 

 conyl = O''^ H'^** Cl'^ OK—Comptes Rendus, xii. p. 764. 



