140 
Isomer ide  of  Monobromocamphor. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pliarm. 
\      March,  1890. 
plant  whose  native  home  is  on  the  sunny  shores  of  the  Mediter- 
ranean. 
There  appears  to  be  no  reason  why  English  oil  of  rosemary  should 
not  be  obtained  of  the  greatest  purity  and  of  the  finest  flavor  under 
such  favorable  conditions,  when  skill  and  care  are  also  applied  to  its 
production.  Mr.  Sawer  promises  details  concerning  the  distillation 
of  lavender  at  a  future  date. — Phar.  Jour,  and  Trans. y  Jan.  25,  p.  581. 
ISOMERIDE  OF  MONOBROMOCAMPHOR.1 
By  F.  Cazeneuve. 
Hypobromous  acid  is  prepared  by  the  action  of  bromine  on  mer- 
curic oxide  suspended  in  water  cooled  at  o°,  and  powdered  cam- 
phor is  agitated  briskly  with  the  solution.  It  forms  a  reddish-orange 
liquid,  which  is  washed  with  cold  water,  dissolved  in  alcohol  of  930, 
agitated  with  a  slight  excess  of  potassium  hydroxide  to  remove  bro- 
mine, precipitated  by  the  addition  of  water,  washed,  dried  and  finally- 
crystallized  from  alcohol  of  850,  and  from  chloroform. 
The  monobromocamphor  thus  obtained  forms  ill-defined  crystals, 
which  melt  at  144-1450,  whilst  ordinary  monobromocamphor  melts 
at  760.  It  is  insoluble  in  water,  but  readily  dissolves  in  alcohol, 
benzene,  ether,  and  chloroform.  A  5-5  per  cent,  solution  in  alcohol 
of  930  has  a  rotatory  power  of  [«]  d  =  -f-  400,  which  is  identical 
with  that  of  the  monochlorcamphor  obtained  by  the  action  of  hypo- 
chlorous  acid  (preceding  abstract).  With  water  and  dilute  acids  at 
high  temperatures,  with  ammonia,  and  in  all  reactions  (loc.  at.)  the 
two  derivatives  behave  in  a  precisely  similar  manner.  They  are 
therefore  doubtless  similar  in  constitution,  and  the  bromine  has 
displaced  hydrogen  in  a  CH2  group  of  the  nucleus. 
The  monochloro-  and  monobromo-derivatives  obtained  respec- 
tively by  the  direct  action  of  bromine,  or  the  action  of  chlorine  in 
presence  of  alcohol,  contain  the  halogen  in  the  ortho-relation  to  the 
carboxyl.  It  is  probable  that  the  isomerides  contain  the  halogen  in 
the  para-relation,  but  they  may  also  be  regarded  as  ethereal  salts  of 
a  secondary  alcohol  with  the  CH.OH  group  in  the  nucleus.  The 
latter  view  is  supported  by  the  liberation  of  hydrochloric  or  hydro- 
bromic  acid  by  the  action  of  water  or  dilute  sulphuric  acid  at  150°, 
and  by  the  production  of  amines  on  treatment  with  ammonia. 
1  Compt.  rend.,  cix,  439-441  ;  Jour.  Chem.  Soc  ,  1S89,  p,  1204. 
