Febeuaet 19, 1909] 



SCIENCE 



315 



gives a tar. Form-yS-naphtliylide and phthalic 



anhydride yield formic acid and phtlial-;8-naphthyl- 



imide. 



The Synthesis of Orthohydroxyazobenzene: Wm. 



McPheeson and H. J. Lucas. 



The synthesis of orthohydroxyazobenzene by the 

 saponification of the compound obtained by the 

 action of unsymmetrical benzoyl phenylhydrazine 

 on orthobenzoqninone was described. The bear- 

 ings of this synthesis on the constitution of the 

 orthohydroxozo compounds was also discussed. 

 Occurrence of Diterpenes m Camphor Oil: Alfbed 



Hoffman. 



The so-called "blue, thickened" camphor oil of 

 commerce, which consists of the highest boiling 

 parts of camphor oil, contains in its highest frac- 

 tion a few per cent, of a hydrocarbon CjoHbj. 

 Purified by distillation over metallic sodium, it is 

 a colorless, mobile liquid of faint odor and the 

 following physical properties : b. 20 mm. = 195- 

 205°, b. 760 mm. = 315-320° with slight decom- 

 position, o^ = -f 6° 49', d 24° = 0.902, n^ = 1.5024, 

 molecular refraction for C20H32 with three double 

 bonds, found 88.94, calculated 88.77. This would 

 point to its being bicyclic. It does not resinify 

 on standing, can be distilled with steam and is 

 Tinsaturated toward potassivun permanganate and 

 bromine, adding about six atoms of the latter. 

 This seems to be the first instance of a hydro- 

 carbon with such a high boiling-point being found 

 in a natural essential oil. 

 The Condensation of Acetone with Calcium Oxide: 



Alfeed Hoffman. 



The formation of mesityl-oxyd, isophoron and 

 the xylitons from acetone under the influence 

 of calcium oxide has been studied by a num- 

 ber of chemists and the constitution of the 

 products established. The present article deals 

 with the mechanism of the reaction. Briefly, it 

 was found that the simplest condensation product, 

 mesityl-oxyd, was formed first, and from it alone 

 or with acetone the more complicated ones. It 

 was also shown that the first step in the reaction 

 in all cases is an aldol condensation under the 

 influence of the small quantities of calcium hy- 

 droxide usually present as impurity. Then water 

 is split off to form the known condensation prod- 

 uct. Thus, with perfectly pure calcium oxyd no 

 condensation takes place, even on heating under 

 pressure. In the simplest case, that of acetone to 

 mesityl-oxide, the intermediate product could be 

 isolated and was shown to be the alcohol di- 

 acetone which has already been described as a 

 product of the action of alkalies on acetone. 



S-Brom-2-AminoT)enzoio Acid: Alvin S. Wheeeeb. 

 Trichlorethylidene-o-aminobenzoic acid on bro- 

 mination in glacial acetic acid gives a high yield 

 of 5-brom-2-aminobenzoic acid which is converted 

 into the free base by water. Direct bromination 

 of anthranilic acid under like conditions gives a 

 less pure product. A detailed comparison of the 

 two methods will soon be completed. 



Fixation of Labile Hydrogen Atoms by Chloral: 

 Alvin S. Wheeleb and Stbowd Joedan. 

 The condensation of chloral with primary aro- 

 matic amines gives compounds of the type 

 CCIsCH(NHPh),. Substituted amines may be 

 used, but these are limited to those containing 

 not more than two negative elements or groups 

 in the benzene nucleus. All such compounds on 

 bromination split off chloral and give brominated 

 amines. A quantitative study is being made, com- 

 paring this method with the direct bromination 

 of amines. The reactions proceed best in glacial 

 acetic acid. 



The Anhydride of Ohlorterephthalio Add: John 



E. Buchee. 



This acid easily forms an anhydride (CaHaClOs)^ 

 on treatment with acetic anhydride. Molecular 

 weight determinations indicate that the value of 

 X is very high. 



The Oxidation of 1-Phenylnaphthalene Derivatives 



to Benzenepentacarboxylic Add: John E. 



Buchee. 



A number of anhydrides obtained by the action 

 of acetic anhydride on phenylpropiolie acid were 

 oxidized to benzenepentacarboxylic acid. This re- 

 action shows that they are derivatives of 1-phenyl- 

 naphthalenediearboxylic anhydride. In the final 

 oxidation which was carried on in fuming nitric 

 acid, it was necessary to use manganese nitrate 

 as a catalytic agent. 



Abstracts have not been received for the follow- 

 ing papers: 



Studies in Catalysis: S. F. Acbee. 



Studies in Tautomerism: S. P. Aceee. 



The Alhylation of Tautometric Adds: SmNBT 



NiEDLINGEE. 



The Catalytic Formation of Esters from Amides 



and Alcohols in the Presence of Adds: E. E. 



Reid. 

 The Catalytic Hydrolysis of Amides by Adds and 



Alkalies: E. E. Reid. 

 On the Determination of Halogens in Organio 



Compounds: C. W. Bacon. 

 Hearrangements in the Camphor Series: Isocam- 



pholactone: W. A. Notes and A. W. Hombeboeb. 



