70 PRACTICAL ORGANIC AND BIO-CHEMISTRY 



HIGHER ALCOHOLS. 



A hexyl alcohol has been isolated from the fusel oil obtained from grape 

 skins. Two primary hexyl alcohols occur as esters : n-primary hexyl alcohol 

 in the oil from the seeds of the parsnip, Heracleum gigantettm, and 3-methyl- 

 pentanot in Roman camomile oil. 



Normal primary heptyl alcohol is prepared by the reduction of oenan- 

 thylic aldehyde which is obtained by distilling castor oil. 



Normal primary octyl alcohol occurs in the oil from the fruits of the 

 parsnips, Heracleum sphondylium^ Heracleum giganteum and Pastinaca sativa. 



Normal nonyl alcohol is prepared by reducing with sodium and alcohol 

 methyl heptyl ketone which is contained up to 5 per cent, in oil of rue. 



Normal secondary undecylic alcohol is prepared by reducing methyl 

 nonyl ketone, which occurs in camomile in large quantities. 



n-dodecyl alcohol occurs as ester in oil of Cascara sagrada. 



Normal hexadecyl alcohol, or cetyl alcohol, C 16 H 3S OH, the most 

 important of foe higher alcohols, is easily prepared from spermaceti, in 

 which it is present as ester, by hydrolising the ester with alcoholic soda, 

 diluting with water, filtering off and recrystallising the cetyl alcohol from 

 alcohol. Cetyl alcohol has also been described as being present in the fat 

 from an ovarian dermoid cyst. Cetyl alcohol is a white solid which melts at 



5. 



Ceryl alcohol, C 2 7H 55 OH, or more probably C^H^OH, is prepared from 

 Chinese wax, and melts at 76-79. 



Myricyl alcohol, C 30 H 6 iOH, is best prepared from carnauba wax. 

 Beeswax contains this alcohol or the alcohol C 3 iH 63 OH. 



Psylla-stearyl alcohol, CssHggO, has been obtained from the fat of the 

 leaf louse (Psylla alni). 



