- 98 - 
The molecular weight was determined after lowering the freezing 
point in benzene solution. In consequence of the cryoscopic behaviour 
of the present compound the data obtained, which rose on increasing 
concentration from 247 to 307, were not constant. The compound 
C20H32O requires the molecular weight 288. The specific rotatory 
power was determined in 13^/0 chloroform solution at -[-32° 28'. 
In order to demonstrate the alcoholic character, 4 gm. were boiled 
with 6 cc acetic acid anhydride in the presence of sodium acetate. 
After destroying the excess of acetic acid anhydride by heating with 
water, the acetate crystallised out on cooling, and after recrystallisation 
from alcohol this acetate melted at 72° to 73°. 
Analysis : 
0,171 1 gm. of the substance yielded 0,4986 gm. COg and 0,1552 gm. HgO 
Found: Calculated for CggHg^Og: 
c 79,48 7o 80,00 0/, 
H 10,08 0/, 10,30% 
Notes on recent scientific work concerning terpenes and 
terpene derivatives. 
The work in connection with the elucidation of the constitution 
of camphor, which numerous investigators have now been carrying on 
for many years, has at last reached a certain degree of finality by 
the synthesis of camphoric acid accomplished byKomppa^). Komppa 
selected as his crude material methyl ester of diketoapocamphoric acid, 
which he had already previously produced by condensation of oxalic 
ester with methyl ester of /S/?-dimethyl glutaric acid, and methylated 
the ester in the usual manner, thereby obtaining diketocamphoric acid 
ester soluble in soda. On treatment with sodium amalgam this ester 
yielded a dioxy ester, from whose acid an unsaturated camphoric acid 
was obtained by boiling with hydriodic acid. By attaching hydro- 
bromic acid, and subsequently reducing with zinc dust and glacial 
acetic acid, there was finally obtained an oily acid, which by treat- 
ment with acetyl chloride could be split up into a non-anhydrised 
camphoric acid (which for the moment has not been further examined), 
and an inactive camphoric acid anhydride. The latter showed the 
same melting point 217° to 219° as the anhydride produced from 
the natural acid, and yielded on hydratation an acid of the melting 
point 200° to 202°, viz., the same melting point as the inactive cam- 
phoric acid of Chautard. The synthetic products proved to be 
identic with the corresponding derivatives of natural camphor. 
^) Berl. Ber. 36 (1903), 4332 (preliminary communication). 
