MM. Beilstein, Fittig, and Glinzer on Xylole. 357 



xylole the homologous toluylic acid, G 8 H 8 2 , would be formed. 

 This, however, is not the case : when xylole is oxidized by chro- 

 mic acid it yields the bibasic terephthalic acid, according to the 

 equation 



€ 8 H 10 + O b '=£ 8 H 6 O 4 + 2H 2 O. 



Fittig and Tollens made the interesting observation* that the 



€ 6 H 5 1 

 mixed radical methyl-phenyle, q tt3 r , is in all respects identi- 

 cal with toluole, G 7 H 8 ; and it was natural to expect that ethyl- 



Q6 XJ5^j 



phenyle, £,2xj5 P which has the same composition as xylole, 



would be identical with it. But Fittig' s observations show that 

 this is by no means the case; there are material differences 

 between the two substances. 



Fittig, in conjunction with Glinzer, has recently prepared f 

 another body which has the composition of xylole; it is the 



mixed radical methyl-benzyle } . „ 3 L and is procured by the 



action of sodium on a mixture of brominated toluole, G 7 H 7 Br, 

 and iodide of methyle. Methyl-benzyle boils constantly at 139°, 

 and, both in its physical properties and in the chemical changes 

 which it experiences under the influence of various reagents, it is 

 identical with xylole. 



BrigelJ has prepared benzoyle, the radical of benzoic acid, by 

 treating chloride of benzoyle with sodium. In order to moderate 

 the action, the chloride of benzoyle was dissolved in anhydrous 

 ether, and the sodium used in the form of amalgam. It was 

 ultimately necessary to apply heat to complete the reaction. 



The ethereal solution was filtered off from the chloride of 

 sodium and mercury, washed with water to decompose some of 

 the undecomposed chloride, and then, after distilling off the ether, 

 the liquid, being left to itself, deposited some crystals. On ana- 

 lysis these were found to have the composition C 14 H 5 O 2 , or 



C 14 H 5 2 1 

 rather qi4tt5Q2 r, as its molecular weight must be doubled : the 



formation of benzoyle is a simple case of the withdrawal of chlo- 

 rine by sodium : 



2C 14 H 5 2 Cl + 2Na==^4^ 5 6 ^\ + 2NaCl. 



By acting with an excess of protochloride of iodine on phe- 

 nylic acid, Schiitzenberger § obtains teriodized phenylic acid, 



* Phil. Mag. S. 4. vol. xxix. p. 311. 



t Liebig's Annalen, January 1865. X Ibid. August 1865. 



§ Bulletin de la Societe Chimique, August 1865, 



