297 



Tli< . \P( i imnits, in which the campho-carboxylic acids \ 

 ill <>l\v<l iii nitrobenzene or acetophenone and then a small, i (jnantity 

 of l-nicolinc was added, demonstrated that the effect of nicotine 

 is not to be attributed to the fact that it has merely the 

 function of a solvent. They then found: 



d-ocid -f l-nicotine, dissolved in nitrobenzene: k = 0,00302; in aceto- 

 phenone: k = 0,002 77 



l-acid + l-nicotine, dissolved in nitrobenzene: k = 0,00270; in aceto- 

 phenone: k = o,< 



The dextrogyratory acid in nitrobenzene decomposed with a 

 velocity of about 8 % greater than the /a;ogyratory acid; in 

 acetophenone with a speed about 17% greater. This result proves 

 again that the nature of the solvent has an appreciable influence 

 on the difference of velocities for both antipodes. 



Fa jans investigated in the same way the velocity of decom- 

 position of the campho-carboxylic acids and bromo-campho-carboxylic 

 acids. 



Besides nicotine, this author studied the influence of quinine 

 and quinidine, when added in small quantities to a solution of 

 the acids in acetophenone. 



At 70 C. the ratio of the velocity-constants of the right and 

 lefthanded antipodes was found to be: 



e = y- = 1,10, in the case of nicotine, 



whereas in acetophenone at 75 C. it was 



for quinine: = 1,46 

 for quinidine: s = 1,46. 



In the catalytic action of quinine, half of the dextrogyrate acid 

 originally used was decomposed in 92 minutes, whereas the left acid 

 dwindled to half its original amount in 135 minutes. If instead 

 of quinine, quinidine were used as a catalyst, the dextrogyrate 

 acid was lessened to half its amour t in 107 minutes, whereas the 

 laevogyratory acid dwindled to half its original concentration in 

 157 minutes. 



The speed of the reaction of the inactive acid is intermediate 

 between the values obtained for the optically active components; 

 it is difficult to say whether or not it may be concluded from 

 the data, that there is still some racemised acid really existent in 

 the solution, or that it is completely dissociated into its components. 



In the case of the bromo-campho-carboxylic acids, the righthanded 





