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Camp bene. F. W. Semmler^) has made a communication on 
the question of camphene and camphor. In recent times it has 
generally been accepted that camphene is unsaturated, and its mole- 
cular refraction is taken as representing the most important proof in 
support of this contention. Several chemical reactions, such as, for 
example, the phenomena observed during oxidation, can very well be 
explained by the unsaturated camphene; but the explanation is equally 
satisfactory, if the presence of a tri-ring in camphene is accepted, for 
a combination of rings, such as takes place under this hypothesis, 
might be the cause of a behaviour of camphene which is similar to 
that which occurs in the presence of a double linkage. 
The author next discusses the formation and constitution of tri- 
cvclene, bomylchloride, bromocamphene dibromide, and camphene tri- 
chloride, and finally mentions that, contrary to Kerp's statement, 
camphorphorone C^^H^^O can by reduced to an alcohol CqH-j^^O, 
which, when oxidised, yields a ketone C^H^^^O, from which on further 
oxidation two isopnipyl ket(mic acids C^ H^^^ O3 are formed. For this 
reason the formula 
(CH3), C:C<f ^^CH.CHg 
"^CH^ . CW 
previously given by Semmler for this ketone, may by accepted 
as correct. 
F. D. Dodge has also made the constitution of camphene the 
subject of a communication 2). From the fact that camphene, like 
pinene, reacts with glacial acetic acid in the presence of sulphuric 
acid, and that in the last-named hydrocarbon the double linkage 
remains un attacked, but the tetra-ring opens. Dodge concludes that 
in camphene no double linkage exists at all, but that there also a 
tetra-ring is present. On the strength of this conclusion, and having 
regard to the close relations between camphene and isoborneol and 
camphor, the author proposes for camphene the following formula: 
CCH. 
CH 
^) Berliner Berichte 35 (1902), 1016. 
^) Journ. Americ. chem. Soc. 24 (1902), 649; after Chem. Centralblatt 1902. 
II, 591. 
