— 115 — 



permanganate. An alcohol C 10 H 19 OH (b. p. 207 to 208°; d 19 o 0,9080; 

 n D 1,4656) was formed, which, when heated with zinc chloride, yields 

 a hydrocarbon, b. p. 173,5 to 175,5° (di 9 o 0,821 ; n D i 90 1,4558; mol. refr. 

 found 45,67, calc. for C i0 H 18 / = 45,63). These values agree well with those 

 which might be expected for a menthene, but the body probably consists 

 of a mixture of the two. 



The facts related above justify the assumption that ascaridol, under 

 absorption of 4 hydrogen-atoms, affords a 1,4-terpin (II). Assuming that 

 no atomic transposition has taken place during the process of reduction 

 to 1,4-terpin, ascaridol would possess formula I. 



Wallach surmises that the acid Ci Hi 6 O 6 , m. p. 186 to 187°, obtained 

 by Nelson 1 ) from ascaridol, does in fact possess the formula Ci Hi 6 O 6 

 and that it is identical with a-a'-dihydroxy-a-methyl-a -^sopropyladipic acid. 

 But Wallach does not regard Nelson's formula? for ascaridol and ascaridol- 

 glycol as likely to be correct. 



CH 3 CH 3 



H 2 C 

 H 2 C 



CH 

 CH 



C 

 (H 3 C) 2 CH 



(I) Ascaridol. 



H 2 C 

 H 2 C 



OH 

 OH 



CH 2 

 CH 2 



C 

 (H 3 C) 2 CH 



(II) 1,4-Terpine. 



On the anthelmintic action of American wormseed oil (Oleum Chenopodii 

 anthelminthici), see p. 120. 



Oil of Levant Wormseed (01. Cince) still remains unobtainable, but 

 it would appear as if the consumers had at length made up their minds 

 to do without the article, enquiries for the oil being now very rare. 



Wormwood Oil. According to information gathered by our New 

 York branch the production of American wormwood oil in the States of 

 .Michigan and Indiana was about the same this year as in 1911, the total 

 pbcreage under wormwood being 390 acres in 1912, compared with 385 acres 

 in 1911. There are frequent complaints of sluggish sale, because in some 

 European countries the demand for wormwood oil has been greatly reduced 

 owing to the prohibition of the sale of absinth; and it is thought that the 

 high values of recent years, which, for the rest, have already shown some 

 weakening lately, will soon be a thing of the past. Consumers have 

 consoled themselves for the lack of French wormwood oil all the more 



J ) Loc. cit. 



8* 



