— 8i — 
the cause of which is attributed to the oily consistency of the sub- 
stances, which, however, does not seem to come under consideration 
for the actual destruction. Marx rather thinks that the bactericide 
action is due to the capacity of the aromatic substances of rendering 
oxygen active, and supports this view by the observation that terpineol, 
(either in the substance or in the form of vapour) almost immediately 
liberates iodine from potassium iodide, an occurence which with helio- 
tropin and vanillin only takes place after several hours. The bactericide 
action stands, according to its degree, in direct relation to this 
activating power. 
The fate of a number of terpenes and camphors in the animal 
organism has been further traced^) by Hildebrandt^) and also by 
Fromm, Hildebrandt and Clemens^). According to the former, 
carvone yields a combined glycuronic acid, which, on being split up 
with sulphuric acid, does not yield the solid oxycarvone found by 
Harries^) (or the isomeric diketone formed from the latter), but an 
oily oxidation-product which could not be further identified. Santalol 
showed a behaviour which differed completely from the observations 
hitherto made. It appeared from the analysis of the potassium salt 
of the combined glycuronic acid, that during the passage through the 
animal body, the santalol molecule had undergone a decided diminution, 
as it was proved that the formula belonging to the term split off by 
acids, was COOH • CgH^g 'OH. If it is accepted with Hilde- 
brandt, that the carboxyl group is formed by oxidation of a methyl 
group, it would be possible to express the loss suffered by the santalol 
molecule, by the splitting off of the group CgHg. By means of a 
modified method of examination (precipitation of the alcoholic solution 
of potassium salt with basic acetate of lead), the author succeeded in 
proving, for a series of other compounds, such as fenchone, thujone, 
and others, an oxidation with formation of a carboxylic acid, in addition 
to the hydration previously observed. With compounds of the so-called 
''pseudo-class" of terpenes (Semmler), such as for example sabinene 
and sabinol, only a hydroxylation was observed. Contrary to p-cymene 
which in the animal body is converted into cumic acid, there was 
observed with m-cymene the occurrence of a combined glycuronic acid. 
A peculiar departure from the regularities hitherto observed was 
detected with the product of conversion obtained after administration 
of camphene. On splitting up, a liquid body of the formula 
was obtained, which was at first regarded as an alcohol, and was called 
') Compare Report April 1902, 84. 
2) Zeitschrift fiir physiologische Chemie 36 (1902), 441 and 452. 
^) Zeitschrift fiir physiologische Chemie 37 (1903), 189. 
^) BerHner Berichte 34 (1901), 2105. 
6 
