CREOSOL HYDROPHLORON, ETC. 309 



on orciu. Colorless needles; fusing at 25; sublimes 

 almost without decomposition. Scarcely soluble in 

 water, easily soluble in alcohol and ether. 



Trinitro-orcin, C 6 (N0 2 ) 3 j Is produced by 



dissolving orcin in well-cooled nitric acid, and pouring 

 the solution into concentrated sulphuric acid at 10; 

 when this mixture is poured into a large quantity of 

 water the mtro-compound separates. Long, yellow 

 needles. Easily soluble in hot water, but slightly in 

 cold. Fuses at 162, and at a slightly higher tempera 

 ture it decomposes with a weak explosion. Strong, 

 bibasic acid. Yields salts that crystallize well, and 

 are for the greater part easily soluble. 



Creosol, C 8 H 10 2 = C 7 II 6 is formed, together 



with its homologue, guaiacol (p. 305), by the distillation 

 of beech-wood and guaiacum; and can be separated 

 from it by partial distillation. Colorless liquid, very 

 similar to guaiacol ; boiling point, 219. Treated with 

 hydriodic acid, it yields methyl iodide and a non- 

 crystallizing body, isomeric with orcin (homopyro- 

 catechin). 



3. Phenols, C 8 II 10 2 = C 8 H 8 (OH) 2 . 



a. Hydrophloron, Is obtained by the action of 

 sulphurous acid on phlorone (p. 303) that is suspended 

 in water. Colorless laminae, of a mother-of-pearl lustre. 

 Fusible and sublimable. Easily .soluble in water, alco 

 hol, and ether. Oxidizing substances convert it readily 

 into phlorone. 



b. Betaorcin is formed from beta-usnic acid and a 

 few other acids, occurring in lichens, in the same 

 manner as orcin. Quadratic prisms, sublimable, easily 

 soluble in alcohol and ether. Turns red in contact 

 with the air. 



