THE EESrJJ- OE EICTJS ETJBIGIIsOSA. 
55 
like chlorate of potash does in the act of crystallizing. The crystallized substance pro- 
duced in this experiment proved to be in every respect identical with the natural 
acetate of sycoceryl, and thus gave the most direct confirmation to our theoretical views. 
Haling thus established the nature of the sycocerylic alcohol, it became desirable to 
produce also the acid which would be homologous with benzoic acid, and ivould stand 
in regard to this acid in such a relation as palmitic acid does to the lower members of 
the series to which it belongs. A small quantity of the alcohol was therefore boiled for 
about six hours with dilute nitric acid. A feeble reaction v/as indicated by the slight 
evolution of nitrous fumes, and after some time the sycocerylic alcohol became of a dark 
yellow colour’, and presented a resinous aspect. After digesting for six hours, the re- 
sinous product was removed, washed with water, and dried. This substance was readily 
soluble in wa,rm alcohol, and on cooling a white crystalline substance was deposited. 
This ci'^'stalline substance had all the characters of an acid ; it was perfectly soluble 
in an aqueous solution of potash or ammonia, and gave with an alcoholic solution of 
acetate of lead a copious precipitate. Although this reaction showed that we had 
obtained an acid which possesses all the properties that might be anticipated of an acid 
con’esponding to our alcohol, we could not, with the very small quantity of substance at 
our disposal, get enough of it in a pure state for analysis, on account of the yellow nitro- 
compound (apparently the nitro-acid of the new acid) adhering with great obstinacy to 
it, and accompanjdng it in all its compounds and solutions. In order to exclude the 
formation of this secondary product, we tried the action of chromic acid on sycocerylic 
alcohol ; a small quantity of the alcohol w’as boiled with a moderately concentrated solu- 
tion of chromic acid for about eight hours. The product so obtained was washed and 
boiled -nith a dilute solution of potash, but after saturating this alkaline solution with 
an acid, no precipitate was formed, and it was altogether impossible to detect any acid ; 
therefore we must conclude that this acid was rrot formed by this treatment. 
On one occasion, on repeating this experiment, we accidentally observed, among the 
products of the action of chromic acid on sycocerylic alcohol, a crystalline body ; on 
treating the mass with dilute alcohol, this product was procured in large fiat prisms, 
resembling somewhat in appearance acetate of sycoceryl, but differing in its melting- 
point, and was pei-fectly neutral. From the mode of formation, it might be inferred 
that we had obtained the aldehyde (C38 H28 O2) corresponding to our alcohol, but the 
minuteness of the quantity procured rendered it impossible to decide this point. 
For the present we must content ourselves with the foregoing account of the com- 
pounds of the radical sycoceryl, the very small amount of the substance at our disposal 
being barely sufficient for the performance of those experiments which we have 
described. 
The great interest which naturally attaches to this new homologue of the benzyl- 
alcohol series will be a sufficient inducement for us to take up this subject again, for the 
purpose of studpng its derivatives, should we be so fortunate as to obtain a further 
supply of raw material. 
