L. Remsen on Parasulphobenzoie Acid. 279 
of the biderivatives of benzene. Meyer showed that ordinary 
sulphobenzoic acid, which, on the one hand, could be converted 
into oxybenzoic acid, could, on the other hand, be convert 
into isophtalic acid by fusing its potassium salt with sodium 
formate. As, according to the reigning ideas, isophtalie acid 
can only have the constitution indicated by the 13 position of 
its carboxyl groups, it became evident that oxybenzoie acid, 
which up to that time had been looked upon as belonging to 
the same series as phtalic acid, viz: the ortho (1°2) series, in 
reality belonged to the meta (1°83) series, of which isophtalic 
acid is the most satisfactory representative. Salicylic acid thus 
became the 1-2 oxybenzoic acid, and the formule of a number 
of compounds were subsequently changed of necessity to place 
them in concordance with the results of the above reaction. 
But to take thus one experiment as the basis of a change as 
Serious as that which ensued was looked upon by some chemists 
as Insufficient ; and, indeed, Meyer himself, in his first notice* 
on this subject, says: “Bei allen Schliissen, die wir aus Reac 
tionen, wie die oben beschriebene, ziehen, mahnt freilich die 
von Kekulé beobachtete Thatsache, dass die Phenolsulfosiure 
g 
viz.: the conversion of sulphobenzoic ae acid 
and the conversion of bromobenzoic acid into isop. talie acid, 
Temained without support in their testimony. Attempts to 
Strange then that, with these circumstances, the changes pro- 
posed by Meyer were not universally accepted; and those who 
Opposed them on the ground that molecular rearrangement 
might here play a role were certainly to some extent justifi 
s I was now in possession of the para-acid§ corresponding 
to the meta-acid | with which Meyer performed his experiment, 
it became an interesting question as to what the conduct of this 
compound would be when fused with sodium formate. 
rom the pure acid barium salt the potassium s e 
pared and, the directions of Meyer being closely followed, this 
* Berliner Berichte, 1II Jahrgang, 112. + Berliner Berichte, IV Jahrgang, 634. 
é eager eae Chemie u. Pharmacie, elxi, 
| Meta 1-3. 
