80 



Dr. J, Stenhouse on Fucusol. 



[Dec. 21, 



Theory. 

 C 6 = 72 = 14-25 

 H = 1= 0-20 

 Br g =400= 79-21 

 2 = 32= 6-34 



50:> 100-00 



The analyses of those chlorine and bromine derivatives of resorcin that 

 have just been described thoroughly establish the existence of the com- 

 pounds C 6 H CJ 5 2 and C 6 H Br 5 2 , which closely resemble in their pro- 

 perties the corresponding pentachlororcin, C 7 H 3 Cl 5 2 , and pentabrom- 

 orcin, C 7 H 3 Br. 2 , obtained from ordinary orcin. The view of the con- 

 stitution of the orcins put forth by Kekule, who regards them as dihy- 

 droxyl derivatives of the benzols, is scarcely in accordance with the method 

 of formation and composition of these compounds, as in the case of the 

 pentabromresorcin five hydrogen atoms in the resorcin are undoubtedly 

 directly replaced by bromine, although one of them, according to Kekule" s 

 view, exists as hydroxyl. 



An attempt was made to prepare the resorcin body corresponding to that 

 obtained from orcin by the action of calcium hypochlorite and hydro- 

 chloric acid, and which I have designated pentachlororcin hypochlorite, but 

 without success. The product was a very viscid oil, which showed no 

 signs of solidification even after standing for some weeks, and from which 

 I was unable to obtain any crystalline compound. 



I. II. Mean. 



79-30 79-27 79-28 



II. "Note on Fucusol." By John Stenhouse, LL.D., F.H.S. 

 Received October 11, 1871. 



In a paper which I communicated to the Royal Society of London in 

 1850*, " On the Oils produced by the Action of Sulphuric Acid upon 

 various Classes of Vegetables," after describing the sources, method of 

 preparation, and characteristic properties of furfurol and its educts, I de- 

 scribed another isomeric substance closely resembling furfurol, both in its 

 physical and chemical properties, and which I named fucusol from the 

 source whence it had been obtained, namely, Fucus nodosus, F. vesiculosus, 

 F. serratus> &c. 



The nature of the substance which yielded furfurol was involved in 

 considerable obscurity until the publication of Gudkow's paper "On the 

 Furfurol-yielding Substance in Bran " f, which he found to be present in 

 it to the amount of from 15 to 20 per cent., and which, when boiled with 

 dilute sulphuric acid, was converted into a brownish sweet syrup. This 

 is the substance from which furfurol is obtained by distillation with sul- 

 phuric acid or hydrochloric acid. 



* Phil. Trans. 1850, p. 467. t Zeits. Chem. 1870, p. 360. 



