— 42 — 



discovered by us in ginger grass oil, we obtained, on saponifying the 

 above-mentioned ester fraction, an oil boiling at 220 to 230 , which 

 in the odour greatly resembled dihydrocumin alcohol. The naphthyl 

 urethane characteristic of the latter could not be obtained. — In 

 agreement with our earlier observations we found in the high-boiling 

 portions a fraction distilling at 129 to 130 (4 mm. pressure) of the 

 specific gravity 1,0467 and the optical rotation -j-o°5i / . Although 

 it boiled uniformly at 277 to 2 7 8° (ordinary pressure), it was in the 

 course of the examination found to be a mixture of several bodies. 

 With strong formic acid a hydrocarbon was obtained, the quantity of 

 which was, however, insufficient for completely removing oxygenated 

 constituents still present. The fraction of the b. p. 277 to 2 7 8° yielded, 

 on oxidation with 2 per cent, permanganate solution, an acid of the 

 m. p. 167,5 to 1 69° which crystallised from dilute alcohol in the 

 form of needles. From benzene the compound crystallises in compact 

 prisms. Its silver salt can be recrystallised from water and melts at 

 192 to 1 93 . The analyses of the salt and the acid point to the 

 formula C 12 H 16 6 : — 



Acid: 0,1714 g. subst. — 0,3559 g- C0 2> 0,0962 g. H 2 0. 



Found: Calculated for C 12 H 16 G : 



c 56,63% 56,30% 



H 6,24% ' 6,25 %. 



Silver salt: 0,2 62 8 g. subst— 0,3848^ C0 2 , 0,1032 g. H 2 0,0,0768 g.Ag. 

 0,2199 g. subst. — 0,0651 g. Ag. 



Found: Calculated for C 12 H 15 Ag0 6 : 



C 39,93% 39,67% 



H 4,36% 4,13% 



Ag 29,22%, 29,60% 29,75% 



We will at some future time return to this subject. 



Erigeron Oil. In the summer of 1904 Fr. Rabak had already 

 distilled the fresh and the dried herb of Erigeron canadensis L., and in 

 our Report of October 1905 we have referred in detail to the results 1 ). 

 Rabak 2 ) has now continued these examinations, without, however, 

 arriving at any conclusive results with regard to the composition of 

 the oil. The odour of the new oil from fresh herb was like caraway, 

 but reminded at the same time also of limonene; the oil formed a 

 cloudy solution with two and more parts 90 per cent, alcohol. For 



x ) Report October 1905, 23; comp. also Report October 1903, 31. 

 2 ) Pharm. Review 24 (1906), 326. 



