1889-90.] Dr G. E. C. Wood on Enzyme Action. 
58 
much kind assistance in the work carried out in the Laboratory of 
the Royal College of Physicians. 
A New Synthesis of Dibasic Carbon Acids. 
By Prof. Crum Brown. 
(Read February 17, 1890.) 
{Abstract.) 
0 
The electrolysis of potassium salts of the form K — 0 — C — R in 
strong aqueous solution has been shown by Kolbe* to lead to the 
0 
ii 
formation at the anode of R 2 . K — 0 — C — R decomposing into 
0 
ii 
the ions K and — 0 — C — R; the former giving at the cathode caustic 
potash and hydrogen, and the latter giving at the anode carbonic 
acid gas and R 9 . It occurred to me that if in dibasic acids, con- 
taining two carboxyls, one carboxyl could be temporarily shut off 
from taking part in the electrolysis, an interesting synthesis might 
be effected. Guthrie’s observation t that K — 0 — S0 2 — 0 — Et, 
when subjected to electrolysis with an anode of amalgamated zinc, 
gives caustic potash and hydrogen at the cathode, and zinc ethyl 
sulphate at the anode, gave a hint how such temporary eclipse of 
one carboxyl might be effected. I therefore determined to try the 
O : 0 
electrolysis of such a salt as K 
0 — C— R" — C — O — Et, in the 
hope that it would give at the cathode caustic potash and hydro- 
O 
Ii 
gen, and at the anode carbonic acid and (R" — C — 0 — Et) 2 , that is 
0 O 
II I! 
Et — 0 — C — Ii" — R" — C — 0 — Et. 
* Annalen , lxix. 257. 
t Chem. Soc. Quart. Jour., ix. 131. 
