64 'Mr. Xhel on some of the 



luol, cinnamol (styrol), cumol, naplithalol, cymol, are acted 

 upon by niti'ic acid, the coiTesponding products of substitu- 

 tion are formed. 



Benzol. .Cijllj Nitrobenzol . . Cij-^ ^?) >- Dinitrobenzol . • ^n') o^O ' 



Toluol . .Culls Nitrotoliiol . -ChIJ^^, | Dinitrotoliiol . -Cnlgi^o } 



Cinnamol . C15 II3 Nitrocinnamol . Cig-j ^q >• 



Curaol . . Cjs H12 Nitrocumol . ■ Cisi -kII \- Dinitrocuuiol . . Cig ■< 2jJq r 



Naplitlialol C;q H3 Nitronaphthalol Cooj xtq V Dinitroiiaphtlialol C;o ^ gvn f 



Cymol , . Coo "h Nitrocymol . .C.J "i| |* 



In the above two columns of combinations the number of 

 equivalents of carbon \vill be found the same as in the carbo- 

 hydrogens. Wc have however succeeded with most of these 

 bodies, by the continued action of the acid upon them, or by 

 the observation of particular conditions, in oxidizing also a 

 portion of their carbon, bodies with acid properties being pro- 

 duced which contain a smaller number of equivalents of car- 

 bon than the carbo-hydrogens from which they were derived. 

 The composition of these acids does not however bear any 

 constant relation to the carbo-hydrogens, such as observed in 

 the above-mentioned products of substitution. 



By the continued action of nitric acid on naphthalol, naph- 

 thalic acid, discovered by Laurent and Marignacfj is pi*o- 

 duced, the composition of which is expressed by the formula 

 2H0,C,eH/p,. 



The action of nitric acid on cinnamol (styrol) has been 

 studied by Drs, Hofmann and BlythJ. They have shown 

 that cinnamol may in this manner be converted into benzoic 

 acid. 



The products obtained by the action of nitric acid on toluol 

 have been studied by Deville§. He found that the two 

 above-mentioned products of substitution were easily formed. 

 He moreover believes to have converted toluol, by a long- 

 treatment with oxidizing agents, into benzoic acid; he is 

 however in doubt about the result of his experiment, as he 

 could not always succeed in the transformation, and his me- 

 thod of preparing toluol did not exclude the possibility of its 

 containing benzoic ccther in admixture. If benzoic acid can 

 in reality be obtained from toluol, we have here an instance 



* Tliis substance is now under investigation by Mr. Noad. 



t Liebig's ^H?;a^f«, xli. p. 98, and xlii. p. 21.5. 



{ Phil. Mag. 3.S. vol. xxvii. p. 97. 



§ Ati/i. de Chim. et de Plijs. 3d Sen t. iii. ]>. 1G8. 



