" 788 REPORT— 1890, 
action of acetic anhydride on the acids in alcohol, when a partial hydrolysis of the 
anhydrides took place. Had he shaken up his substances with water he would, on 
titrating, have found no acid value, or a very small value, owing to slight hydro- 
lysis in aqueous solution. The experiments of the author on dihydroxystearic 
anhydride prove his conclusions beyond doubt. 
The method of boiling fatty acids with acetic anhydride may qualitatively 
indicate the presence of hydroxylated fatty acids, and this will be the case if the 
saponification values of the original fatty acid and of the acetylated fatty acid 
shows a considerable difference. The real ‘acetyl values’ will be found by 
quantitatively estimating the amount of acetyl (as acetic acid) that has been 
taken up by the fatty acid on boiling with acetic anhydride. 
The author has shown that this may be conveniently done by means of a 
method closely resembling that of Reichert. He estimated the ‘acetyl’ in the 
diacetylhydroxystearic acid in this way, and found results concordant with those 
required by theory. 
9. On the Condensation of Dibenzylketone with Oxalic Ether. 
By Tuos. Ewan, Ph.D., B.Sc. 
The author, who undertook this work at the suggestion of Professor Claisen, 
found that dibenzylketone and oxalic ether condense together, under the influence: 
of sodium ethylate, according to the equation— 
C,,H,,0 + C,H,,0, = C,,H,,0, + 2C,H,OH. 
The substance so obtained (oxalyldibenzylketone) forms yellow plates melt- 
ing at 189-190°. On boiling with caustic potash it is decomposed, with formation 
of dibenzylketone. It forms salts, in which either one or two atoms of hydrogen 
are replaced by metal. These two hydrogen atoms can also be replaced by methyl 
groups. The monomethyl compound, on boiling with caustic potash, yields a 
methyldibenzylketone, while the dimethyl compound gives the monomethyl com- 
pound again. Acetic anhydride converts it into a monacetyl derivative. It also 
yields an anilide, hydrazone, and anoxime. With m.p. toluylene diamine it gives 
a phenazine. 
From the method of formation, and the above reactions, there is no doubt that. 
the substance possesses the constitution— 
co 
| | 
C,H,, CH-—CO- CO-CH, O,H,. 
When heated above its melting-point it changes into an isomeric substance melt- 
ing at 249°. Its salts contain only one atom of metal; it forms also an acetyl 
derivative. On boiling with potash it is decomposed, with formation of dibenzy} 
glycolic acid. It is therefore probably represented by the formula— 
6] 0) eee I) 
| « 
C,H,, C =C(OH) -— C=CH, 0,H,. 
} 
b 
