458 R. ROBINSON AND H. G. SMITH. 
by treatment with hydrogen in the presence of colloidal 
palladium. Hudesmin may be boiled with aniline without 
condensation and is recovered unchanged. 
Cold aqueous hydrobromic acid dissolves it, but the solu- 
tion soon clouds and an oil separates. At the same time 
a pink colour appears, and this is much increased if the 
liquid be heated. On the addition of water an.almost 
colourless precipitate is obtained, but could not be crystal- 
lised. This substance contained bromine which was 
removed by means of alcoholic potash, without, however, 
altering the appearance of the substance. The bromine 
free product could also not be crystallised. When the 
aqueous hydrobromic acid solution was boiled and then 
diluted with water, the odour of guaiacol was very pro- 
nounced. On oxidation of eudesmin in the usual manner 
with potassium permanganate, a small quantity of veratric 
acid was isolated. There was also evidence of the presence 
of a phenyl glyoxylic acid, and when larger amounts of 
eudesmin are available, this oxidation will be studied in 
greater detail than has been possible hitherto. 
Me O \eeoe O Me 
Dinitroeudesmin, | 
Me O Lyne OoN O Me 
This nitro derivative is obtained by the action of nitric 
acid on eudesmin under almost any conditions in the cold. 
It is produced slowly when the reagent is 307% aqueous 
nitric acid, and is also the product obtained when cold con- 
centrated nitric acid is allowed to react with eudesmin. 
The substance is a dinitro derivative but it was not found 
possible to prepare a mononitro or any higher nitro eudes- 
mins by modifications of the conditions. The following 
method of preparation is most convenient :— 
A solution of eudesmin (5 gr.) in acetic acid (25 ccm.) 
was carefully cooled under the tap and a mixture of nitric 
