— 133 — 



which was found to be identic with the quinone obtained from asarone 

 (see below) of the melting point iii°. 



This quinone obtained by Thorns and Biltz from nitrodihydro 

 methyleugenol, was obtained by Beckstroem 1 ) from asarone by 

 oxidation of its dihydro derivative with chromic acid. 



The last-named author also examined the behaviour of asarone 



dibromide 



/(OCH 3 ) 3 

 C 6 H 2 < 



x GHBr • CHBr • CH 9 



towards sodium methylate. With this reagent the dibromide yielded, 

 in agreement with observations made by Auwers and M tiller 2 ), a 

 brominated ether of the formula 



/(OCH 3 ) 3 

 C H ' 



2 N CH(OCH 3 ) • CHBr • CH 3 



on the other hand, when the dibromide was treated with an excess 

 of methylate, with application of heat, it did not yield the expected 



ketone /(OC^ 



x CO • CH 2 .CH 3 , 



but a high-boiling oil, from which, after prolonged standing, a very 

 small quantity of crystals melting at io6°, not sufficient for analysis, 

 was separated off. 



The great facility with which the pure asarone dibromide melting 

 at 86° becomes decomposed is very striking; even in the vacuum 

 desiccator it acquired a dark colour after a few weeks, and separated 

 off a body melting at 109 . Beckstroem concludes from the bromine- 

 determination that a condensation of two molecules asarone with one 

 atom bromine has taken place. Of a chiefly preparative interest are 

 the condensations made with asaryl aldehyde, the oxidation product 

 of asarone, and various bodies such as alcohol, acetone, and methyl - 

 amylketone. 



Benzyl acetate. The production of this useful perfume on 

 a large scale enabled us to reduce its price still further. In the hands 

 of an intelligent expert, this body is very serviceable for purposes of 

 perfumery, and we would once more call attention to the fact that 

 it is an important constituent of natural jasmine and ylang ylang oils. 

 This should be an inducement to give the article a thorough trial. 



Arch, der Pharm. 242 (1904), 98. 



Berl. Berichte 35 (1902), 114. — Report April 1902, 95. 



