June 22,1872.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
1043 
the ground ; for it would be impossible to represent such 
a body by any structural formula analogous to that 
of benzene. All this was pointed out long ago by 
Kekule.* 
The important subject of isomerism amongst aromatic 
bodies is scarcely brought out witn sufficient clearness. 
Particular instances of isomerism are indeed given 
(though in the case of the hydrocarbons it has been 
almost overlooked), but there is no distinct indication 
of the two kinds of isomerism so well displayed in this 
group of bodies,—the one depending on the circum¬ 
stance that the replacement of hydrogen by other ele¬ 
ments or radicals may take place either in the principal 
or in the lateral chains ; the other, on the relative posi¬ 
tion of these substituted radicals in the principal chain 
itself. This is well known to be a real distinction, cor¬ 
responding to important differences of character in the 
respective isomerides. In one instance, however, Dr. 
Frankland has indicated a possible case of isomerism 
which has been overlooked by Kekule, and indeed by 
every one else who has attended to the subject. Oxy- 
phenol C^HgO.j or C 6 H 4 (OH) 2 is known to exist in three 
modifications, viz. resorcm, pyrocatechin, and hydroqui- 
none, the constitution of which is represented by the first 
three of the following figures, and these are commonly 
supposed to be the only modifications possible:—• 
1. 2. 3. 4. 
h-c=c-oh h-c=c-oh h-c=c-oh ho-c=c-oh 
H-C C-H H-C C-H H-C C-OH H-C C-H 
UO-C-C-H 
H-C-C-OH H-C—C-H 
H-C-C-H 
But Dr. Frankland points out that a fourth modification 
is possible, namely, that represented by the fourth figure, 
which differs from the third in this respect, that the two 
groups 0 H are attached to carbon-atoms which are 
linked together by two bonds, whereas in the third figure 
they are attached to carbon-atoms linked by only one 
bond. This is certainly a difference in the formula ; but 
whether corresponding derivatives exist, exhibiting any 
corresponding differences in their properties, is a question 
for future investigation. The difference, if any, would 
probably be but slight; for, after all, each of the carbon- 
atoms in question is attached, in both cases, to one of its 
neighbours by two bonds, and to the other by one. The 
point is, however, of importance: for it clearly affects 
many other isomeric bodies of the aromatic group 
besides the oxyphenols ; for if this distinction is a real 
one, there should be four dichloro-, dibromo-, di-iodo-, 
and di-nitro-benzols ; four xylols, four cresols, fourtolui- 
dines, four acids C 7 H f) 0 3 (salicylic, etc.), four phthalic 
acids C 8 H 6 0 4 , etc.; in short, four di-substitution deri¬ 
vatives in every case. It is remarkable, however, that 
in all the numerous cases of this kind hitherto investi¬ 
gated, the maximum number of isomerides actually 
obtained, is not four, but three. 
There are one or two peculiarities of nomenclature in 
Dr. Frankland’s work which it may not be superfluous 
to notice. On pages 66, 67, phenylic alcohol and its 
homologues are called tertiary alcohols, whereas in the 
first edition of the Lecture Notes, they were called 
secondary alcohols. Now they resemble the secondary 
rather than the tertiary alcohols in one respect, namely, 
in having the carbon-atom which is associated with the 
group OH, directly combined with two other carbon- 
atoms ; but altogether their resemblance either to the 
secondary or to the tertiary alcohols of the fatty series 
is but slight, and it is better to designate them by a 
particular term, namely phenols , as is now generally 
done. 
On pages 55 and 97, the nitriles are spoken of as 
abnormal cyanides. We submit that they are the normal 
( N'* 
cyanides, represented by the formula C j p, and corre- 
* ‘Lehrbuch der Organischen Chemie ii. p. 519 (1866). 
sponding to the normal cyanic ethers C j ^Qpy, dis¬ 
covered by Cloez, which, when treated with alkalis, are 
resolved into cyanic acid and the corresponding 
alcohols. 
The graphic or constitutional formuke in the present 
edition, are greatly improved in simplicity and clearness 
by the omission of the circles, which in the first edition 
were placed round the symbols of the elements; in fact, 
these circles, which were very much the fashion some 
years ago, represented nothing at all, and served only to 
confuse the formula!. 
We should have rejoiced also to bid farewell to the 
thick black C s and other capitals which disfigure the 
formulae without adding anything to their clearness, and 
to the numerous special symbols, such as Me, Et, Pr, 
B u > Ay, Rh, etc., for alcohol-radicals, and Ho, Ko, Zno", 
Eto, Aco, etc., for oxygenated radicals. These symbols 
save but little space, while their excessive multiplication 
is a tax on the memory, and renders the formulae difficult 
to read. The. perfection of a symbolic notation consists 
in the expression of ideas by combinations of the smallest 
possible number of arbitrary symbols. 
ROBERT WIGHT, M.D., F.R.S., F.L.S., etc. 
Science has lost one of her best workers, and Indian 
Botany one of its brightest ornaments, through the 
death which we record. Dr. Wight died at Grazeley 
Lodge, Reading, on the 26th of May, aged 76. 
Dr. Wight was born at Milton, Duncra Hill, East 
Lothian, on July 6th, 1796, and took his degree at Edin¬ 
burgh, in 1816. Soon afterwards he entered the East 
India Company’s service, serving first as Assistant Sur¬ 
geon, and subsequently as full Surgeon in the 33rd 
Regiment of Foot. During this time, travelling from 
place to place, and throughout his long life in India, he 
devoted extraordinary talent and energy to the collec¬ 
tion, description and illustration of Indian plants. In 
1834, whilst staying in Edinburgh on furlough, he pub¬ 
lished, in conjunction with Professor Arnott, of that city, 
the first and only volume of ‘ Prodromus Flora? Penin¬ 
sula? Orientalis’ (1834), a work that has been spoken of 
as “ the most able and valuable contribution to Indian 
Botany which has ever appeared.” Dr. Wight’s re¬ 
turn to India, however, did not allow of the completion 
of the work. 
The success of this publication had the effect of stimu¬ 
lating Dr. Wight to further exertions, and, on his return 
to Madras, he commenced a very valuable work, entitled 
‘ Illustrations of Indian Botany,’ two volumes of which 
were published, containing 182 coloured plates of various 
Indian plants. This work was followed by a still larger 
one, entitled ‘ leones Plantarum India? Orientalis,’ which 
consisted of valuable descriptions, illustrated wuth 2101 
uncoloured plates. After this appeared a third illus¬ 
trated work on the flora of the Neilgherries, entitled 
‘ Spicilegium Neilgherrense.’ The illustrations of all 
these works are very good; and one cannot but be im¬ 
pressed with the indomitable perseverance shown by 
Dr. Wight in the success and fidelity of their produc¬ 
tion at a time when lithography was in a very rude 
state in India. 
Besides these large publications, a great number of 
memoirs by Dr. Wight are to be found in various bota¬ 
nical journals. Very many valuable medicinal and 
other useful plants have been figured and described by 
him. We need only mention as illustrations: Tylo- 
phora asthmatica , Aryemonc mexicana, Calysaccion longi- 
folinm , Mesua ferrea , Vatcria indica , Ailanthus excelsa , 
Rhus succedanca, Moringa pterygosperma , etc. 
Dr. Wight paid great attention, not only to the de¬ 
veloping of Indian products, but also to the introduction 
