624 
Chemistry  of  Buchu  Leaves. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Dec,  1888. 
they  may  be  used  in  like  concentration  with  zinc,  starchy  and  lanolin  or 
vaselin  basis.  For  insufflations  the  sodium  and  potassium  salts  are 
used  undiluted ;  the  zinc  with  milk  sugar,  ten  per  cent.;  the  mercury 
salt,  five  to  ten  per  cent,  with  milk  sugar. — The  Medical  Chronicle^ 
October,  1888. 
CHEMISTRY  OF  BUCHU  LEAVES.^ 
By  Y.  Shimoyama. 
Fliickiger  obtained  from  the  oil  of  buchu  leaves  a  peculiar  com- 
pound, described  under  the  name  of  diosphenol ;  it  forms  colorless 
crystals  belonging  to  the  monoclinic  system,  which  can  be  obtained 
several  centimetres  long  by  sublimation.  It  is  easily  soluble  in  alco- 
hol, less  so  in  ether,  and  scarcely  at  all  in  water.  Its  solutions  are 
neutral.  Diosphenol  dissolves  in  concentrated  sulphuric  acid  ;  on  sat- 
urating the  solution  with  barium  carbonate  and  evaporating  the  fil- 
trate, a  little  amorphous  barium  salt  is  obtained.  According  to  Spica, 
diosphenol  is  an  oxycamphor  of  the  composition  CioHig02 ;  the  au- 
thor's results  confirm  this.  Meihyldiosphenol,  obtained  by  the  action 
of  potassium  hydroxide  and  methyl  iodide  on  diosphenol,  is  a  color- 
less liquid,  which  boils  at  232-235°,  and  has  a  sp.  gr.  of  0*985  at 
15°.  It  is  easily  soluble  in  alcohol  and  ether,  but  not  in  water.  Its 
composition  is  CioHi502Me.  The  corresponding  e^/i^/^-compound  is 
also  a  colorless  liquid  insoluble  in  water,  easily  soluble  in  alcohol  and 
ether,  of  sp.  gr.  0.967  at  15°.  Boiling  point  270-272°.  Acetyldios- 
phenol  is  obtained  by  mixing  diosphenol  with  anhydrous  sodium 
acetate  and  excess  of  acetic  anhydride,  and  heating  at  145°  in  a  closed 
-tnbe.  The  rectified  product  is  a  colorless,  odorless  liquid,  which  boils 
at  269-270°,  although  not  without  decomposition.  Sp.  gr.  1*032  at 
20°  ;  easily  soluble  in  alcohol  and  ether,  but  not  in  water.  The  com- 
pound is  neutral,  but  after  rectification  has  an  acid  reaction. 
Long  digestion  of  diosphenol  with  alcoholic  potash  partly  converts 
it  into  diolie  acid  ;  this  is  separated  from  the  liquid  residue  in  the  re- 
tort by  the  addition  of  hydrochloric  acid  dissolved  in  ammonium  car- 
bonate, treated  with  animal  charcoal,  and  precipitated  with  acid.  Dio- 
lie acid  forms  white,  crystalline  needles ;  its  aqueous  solution  has  an 
acid  reaction ;  it  neutralizes  strong  bases  and  liberates  carbonic  anhy- 
^Arch.  Pharm.  [3],  xxvi.,  403-417  ;  reprinted  from  Jour.  Chem.  Soc,  Nov.,  p. 
1205. 
