— 42 — 



champaca odour and gave the following constants: d^| 0,9543 to 1,020, 

 r»D3oo 1,4550 to 1,4830, sap. v. 160 to 180. The opt. rot. could not be de- 

 termined, the oil being too dark in colour. It was soluble in alcohol of 

 70°/ or stronger and gave a neutral reaction, whereas the oil examined 

 by us a few years ago contained free acid, especially methylethyl acetic 

 acid 1 ). 



In the process of saponification, champaca oil loses its characteristic 

 odour almost entirely. 50 g. oil yielded 1,5 g. = 3°/ phenols (princi- 

 pally isoeugenol; m. p. of the benzoyl compound 103°). The oil further 

 contained 15 g. = 30°/ acids (but these did not boil below 140° [40 mm.] 

 so that they did not contain methylethyl acetic acid) and 23 g. = 46°/o 

 neutral bodies, with an odour of bay oil. 



The crystalline substance referred to above, which separated out from 

 freshly-distilled oil when it was allowed to stand, or when ether was added 

 to it, had a greenish colour and a pleasant, albeit faint, odour; it was 

 readily soluble in chloroform, acetone, acetic acid, hot alcohol or benzene; 

 in ether or light petroleum it was almost insoluble. It was purified by 

 repeated solution in hot benzene or chloroform and precipitation with 

 ether or light petroleum, and formed colourless white needles. In the 

 process of purification a very peculiar phenomenon was witnessed. Fre- 

 quently, and apparently without any inducement, the solution in benzene 

 or choroform solidified, with a clearly perceptible crackling noise, into a 

 horn-like jelly which could not be liquefied again by any solvent, and 

 from which it was impossible to recover the original substance. 



When a solution of 8 g. of the original body in benzene and alcohol 

 was shaken up with concentrated solution of bisulphite of soda, a crys- 

 talline precipitate was formed, which was filtered off. The filtrate was 

 then evaporated until it began to crystallise, this process yielding a com- 

 pound which, when recrystallised from chloroform and ether, melted at 

 165 to 166° and upon combustion gave values corresponding to the for- 

 mula C16H20O5; this formula being confirmed by the determination of the 

 molecular weight. 



The semicarbazone of the original crystalline body forms white need- 

 les, m. p. 205 to 206° (under decomposition), the phenylhydrazone occurs 

 in leaflets, m. p. 153 to 155° (under decomposition). With concentrated 

 sulphuric acid a deep-red body was obtained which, when dissolved in 

 water, imparted to it a red coloration. No'methoxyl groups were discov- 

 erable. When treated with alcoholic potash liquor one molecule of the 

 substance used up two molecules of hydroxide of potassium, but never- 

 theless the body does not appear to be an ester, for in the course of the 

 treatment with alcoholic potash solution several products result which are 

 not otherwise formed from neutral compounds. The substance is soluble 



*) Report October 1907, 32. 



