572 
EESEAECHES OF DE. HOF^IAXS" ASB M. CAHOUES 
Olefiant gas, then, and all its homologues are capable of furnishing two mono-acid 
alcohols, exhibiting slightly different features, but presenting in all their principal 
characters the most obvious analogies. The alcohols formed by fixation of water, such 
as ethylic alcohol, have been long well known ; in fact the detailed study which has 
been made during the last quarter of a century of most of their derivatives, has exer- 
cised the most important influence upon the development of organic chemistry. 
The same remark does not apply to the alcohols produced from these same hydro- 
carbons by fixation of oxygen. The history of allylic alcohol, which we have endeavoured 
to trace in the preceding pages, and to which of late important contributions have been 
furnished by MM. Beethelot and De Luca and by M. Zmx, begins also to throw 
light upon this second group of alcohols. For this reason, the discovery of allylic 
alcohol appears to claim the attention of chemists, even had it not assisted in fixin g, in 
the system of organic compoimds, the exact position of several very interesting natural 
products, viz. the sulphuretted oils furnished by the bulbs of the garlic [AUium sativum) 
and the seeds of the black mustard [Sinapis nigra), which it had not been possible up 
to the present time to group around a similar centre. 
It is highly probable that by submitting the various hydrocarbons polymeric vith 
propylene to appropriate reactions, other alcohols may be obtained homologous with 
allyl-alcohol. This much is certain, that by distilling a mixtm-e of cyanate of silver and 
bromide of amylene, Cio Hg Br, a volatile hquid is obtained, which possesses an extremely 
irritating odour, causing lacrymation like the cyanic ethers. This forms by contact 
with ammonia a crystallizable urea, which, when decomposed by potassa, fields, hke 
cyanate of allyl, bases, among which the compound C,o H,i N may be traced. 
Allylic alcohol, the history of which we have endeavoured to sketch, forms the third 
term of a series of alcohols, which may be represented by the general formula 
^2n ■^2n 02" 
In fact, a group of homologous acids is known, which, according to their composition, 
bear the same relation to acetic acid and its homologues, that is observed between our 
new group of alcohols, and the alcohol-series commencing mth methylic and ethylic 
alcohols. In addition to acrylic acid, angelic and oleic acids are the best known terms 
of this group of acids. It is possible that cyanide of allyl, which is formed by the double 
decomposition of iodide of allyl and cyanide of silver, but which we have not yet been 
able to obtain in a state of sufiicient purity to admit of analysis, may be transformed by 
boiling with a solution of caustic potassa into an acid homologous with acrylic acid, in 
the same way as cyanide of propyl is resolved under similar circumstances into but}Tic 
acid. 
We conclude this paper with a Table which exhibits in a perspicuous manner the two 
groups of alcohols and acids. 
