18 REPORT—1874. 
in a paper published during the progress of these experiments Beilstein and 
Kupffer state that the substance boils at 195°. (4) Resinous substances not 
volatile at 350°. (5) “ Blue oils” boiling at near 300° and upwards. 
Absinthol differs from its isomeride myristicol (boiling at 212° to 218°, or 
about 15° higher) in that it is not appreciably polymerized by continued 
rectification; like this substance, however, it is dehydrated by hot zinc 
chloride forming cymene, thus, 
C,,H,,O=H,O + C,H, 3 
the yield of cymene is, however, but small (20 to 25 per cent.), most being 
converted into a non-volatile resinous mass. 
When treated with phosphorus pentasulphide absinthol loses the elements 
of water, cymene resulting ; the yield of this hydrocarbon is not much greater 
than when zine chloride is used: a portion of the absinthol also becomes 
converted into cymyl-sulphhydrate, C,,H,,.SH, apparently identical with that 
obtained from camphor by similar treatment ; camphor and absinthol, there- 
fore, are identical in so far as the action of pentasulphide of phosphorus is 
concerned. The production of cymene from absinthol in this way has also 
béen observed by Beilstein and Kupffer, who, however, did not observe the 
simultaneous production of cymyl-sulphhydrate, 
‘TI. Ot: or Crrronetxa (Andropogon Schenanthus).—A pure sample of this 
oil was found to consist mainly of an oxidized substance boiling at near 210°, 
but altered by continued heating, becoming somewhat resinized and partially 
losing the elements of water. This substance gave numbers on combustion 
agreeing with those calculated for the formula C,,H,,0; therefore it is iso- 
meric, not with camphor, myristicol, and absinthol, but with cajeputol from 
oil of cajeput. ' (Gladstone found in a sample of citronella a body termed by 
him citronellol, boiling pretty constantly at 199°-205°, which gave numbers 
agreeing sharply with the formula C,,H,,0 ; essential oils not improbably 
differ in the character of their ingredients with the season, age of plant, &c.) 
When two equivalents of bromine are cautiously added to this oxidized 
substance combination takes place, much heat being evolved; the resulting 
dibromide breaks up on heating into water, hydrobromic acid, and cymene, 
thus, 
C,,H,,Br,0=H,0+2H Br+C,,H,,, 
a considerable amount of resinous by-products being also formed, 
When treated with phosphorus pentasulphide, the first action is the removal 
of the elements of water, a terpene or a mixture of terpenes boiling between 
160° and 180° being formed, thus, 
C,,H,,0 =H,0 + 2: 5 
polymerides of terpenes boiling at about 250° and upwards are also produced ; 
by a further action the terpene becomes partially conyerted into cymene, 
sulphuretted hydrogen being evolved, thus, 
es ai S= HS + C,H, 
When heated with zine chloride the oxidized constituent of citronella-oil 
is decomposed, a mixture of hydrocarbon being apparently formed, amongst 
which a terpene boiling between 170° and 180° predominates ; nine tenths 
of the. substance are, however, converted into a resinous non-volatile mass. 
Phospherus pentachloride forms a chlorinated product which splits up on 
