— 150 — 



The constitution of the remaining derivatives can be traced from 

 these formulae. Attempts to produce the corresponding esters with 

 bromacetophenone, methylene iodide, and ethylene bromide, did not lead 

 to the expected results. 



Cyclopentanone. See under thujone, the present Report, p. 138. 



Acids. 



Cinnamic acid. We learn from a work by E. Erlenmeyer jun. 

 and C. Barkow 1 ) on stereo -isomeric cinnamic acids that the authors 

 have proved the existance of a new cinnamic acid. We had placed 

 at the disposal of Prof. Erlenmeyer two preparations, the one from 

 the oil of Alpinia malaccensis 2 ), and the other from so-called Honduras 

 balsam 3 ). Whereas the former preparation consisted of small leaflets, 

 the latter crystallised in fine small curved needles, which showed a 

 totally different habit than all other preparations observed up to the 

 present. From the crystallographic measurement made by A. Fock, 

 it was found that it was a question of a new cinnamic acid. Further 

 examinations showed that the one acid (a-cinnamic acid) could be 

 converted into the other (^-cinnamic acid), and vice versa. Interesting 

 is the behaviour of synthetic cinnamic acid and storax cinnamic acid 

 in 75 per cent, alcohol, by means of which the two above-named in- 

 vestigators hope to bring about a separation of the constituents of 

 which synthetic cinnamic acid is formed. To the six cinnamic acids 

 differing crystallographically as well as otherwise, viz., isocinnamic acid 

 of Erlenmeyer sen., allocinnamic acid, isocinnamic acid of Lieber- 

 mann, triclinic cinnamic acid, a-cinnamic acid from storax, and 

 ^-cinnamic acid from storax, must still be added the isocinnamic acid 

 from the more readily soluble brucine salt, which in the crystalline 

 form differs but slightly from Liebermann's, and the synthetic acid 

 which both in the crystal - formation and in the salt - formation with 

 brucine shows distinct differences from all the others. 



Phenols and phenol ethers. 



Asarone. By reducing asarone with sodium and alcohol, Szeki 4 ) 

 obtained an oil which boiled at 185 to 188 (40 mm. pressure), and 

 was identified by the analysis as dihydroasarone (C H 3 0) 3 C 6 H 2 • C H 2 

 • CH 2 «CH 3 . The author's opinion that dihydroasarone was not yet 



A ) Berl. Berichte 39 (1906), 1570. 



2 ) Comp. Gildemeister and Hoffmann, The Volatile Oils, p. 313. 



3 ) Comp. Tschirch, Sehweiz. Wochenschr. f. Chem. u. Pharmacie 43 (1905), 

 238; Report April 1906, 96. 



4 ) Berl. Berichte 39 (1906), 2419. 



