228 Scientific Intelligence. 
acid yields a carboxy] derivative of diphenylenemethane (fluorene), 
which the authors call fluorenic acid, 4H, ion oom This acid, dis- 
tilled with lime gives the hydrocarbon fluorene re i "SCH, Ox- 
idation by chromic acid destroys fluorenic acid, but with perman- 
ganate in an alkaline solution, diphenylene-ketone-carboni¢ acid 
is formed. Ke these data the authors assign to fluoranthene 
H ; 
the ee 1, and to diphenyleneketone-carbonic 
CH 
acid | é a le co isodiphenic acid being as above ei — Lie- 
A Ann., cc, 1, Dec. 1879 
On the Introduction of Hydroxyl by Direct Oxidation. “RB. 
Myris sid A. Baur have paired the possibility of converting 
cumene-sulphonic acid into an oxyacid by direct oxidation while 
its isomer, pr ae. td ene- sulphone acid resists this action. Nor- 
ma ropyl- -benzene was converted into the sulpho-acid, and this, 
first into the barium and then into the potassium salt. The lat- 
unchanged. Cumene from cuminic acid as converted into 
cumene-sulphonic acid, and the potassium salt was submitted to 
oxidation as in the previous case. A product resulted which was 
snnekaally more soluble in alcohol than the salt used, and which af 
forded on analysis the formula C,H 4 SOK ° Consequently the 
oxidation had resulted in the substitution of an atom of hydroxyl 
for one of the hydrogen atoms in the lateral eer OH chain, pro- 
ducing oxypropylbenzene-sulphonic acid C,H, so.H These 
results are a new confirmation of the view that only hydrogen 
atoms which occupy teas positions can be changed into hy- 
rar xii, 2238, oe F. 
the Gonwiiain of Dibromethylene.—There are two 
odie s of the formula C,H,Br,; one acetylene dibromide, and the 
other “aibeomethyléne: One of these bodies must be symmetrical 
‘CHBr 
and have the constitution |] ; the other must be unsymmetri- 
CHBr’ 
CH, : 
cal, and be {| . Anschtitz has demonstrated that it 1s the 
acetylene Silvassa which is symmetrical, and hence, by infer- 
ence, the dibromacetylene must be uns symmetrical. To establish 
this question experimentally, Demoxe has made use of the fertile 
