ABSTRACT OF PROCEEDINGS. xix. 



ABSTRACT OF PROCEEDINGS, AUGUST 2, 1899. 



The General Monthly Meeting of the Society was held at the 

 Society's House, No. 5 Elizabeth-street North, on Wednesday 

 evening, August 2nd, 1899. 



The President, W. M. Hamlet, f.c.s., in the Chair. 



Thirty-two members and four visitors were present. 



The minutes of the preceding meeting were read and confirmed. 



The certificate of one candidate was read for the third time, 

 of twenty-two for the second time, and of four for the first time. 

 The following gentleman was duly elected an ordinary member 

 of the Society : — 



Levy, Albert Lewis, l.r.c.p., l.r.c.s. Edin., l.p.s. Grlas. ; 

 Church-street, Newtown. 



THE FOLLOWING PAPERS WERE READ : 



1. " On the crystalline camphor of Eucalyptus Oil (Eudesmol) 

 and the natural formation of Eucalyptol," by Henry G-. 

 Smith, f.c.s., Technological Museum, Sydney. 



In August, 1897, the author, with Mr. R. T. Baker, f.l.s., in 

 a paper before this Society, announced the discovery of a crystal- 

 line camphor or stearoptene in Eucalyptus oil. They named this 

 substance eudesmol. The present paper deals with the chemistry 

 of this camphor and its relation to eucalyptol. Eudesmol has 

 been found in the oil of many species of Eucalyptus, and should 

 be present at certain times of the year in all those Eucalyptus oils 

 that are eventually rich in eucalyptol. Eudesmol has a formula 

 C 10 H 16 O, is isomeric with ordinary camphor, but has the oxygen 

 atom combined in a different manner. It does not appear to be 

 ketonic, and it cannot be reduced by sodium in alcohol or by 

 other methods. It is optically inactive. It forms a dinitro-com- 

 pound and a dibromide, but does not form a nitrosochloride. 

 It melts at 79-80° when perfectly pure, but has a tendency to 

 form products having a lower melting point. On oxidation with 

 dilute nitric acid, camphoronic acid is formed, but no camphoric 





