A number of substituted benzyl alcohols have been prepared and together with some related, commercially available, compounds have been tested for antibacterial and antifungal properties. The most active inhibitory compound was 3:4:5‐trichlorobenzyl alcohol followed by 4‐chloro‐3:5‐dimethyl‐, 3:4‐dichloro‐ and 2:4‐dichlorobenzyl alcohols, but saturated aqueus solutions of the last three compounds were more rapidly bactericidal. Pharmacological tests have shown that 2:4‐dichlorobenzyl alcohol has low toxicity.

revealed that considerable quantities of volatile hydrocarbons and a nonvolatile ketone are present in the wood of Guarea thompsonii. This ketone has recently been identified as dihydrogedunin and additional evidence in favour of its formulation as (I; R = 0, R' = a-OAc) is now advanced. Minor components of the timber include methyl angolensate 4a and 7-oxodeacetoxydihydro-a-gedunol (I ; R = a-OH, R' = 0 ) . Guarea thom$sonii (Nigerian peanvood) and G. cedrata (boss6, African cedar) are the source of two timbers imported into the United Kingdom as substitutes for mahogany. G. thom$sonii came to our notice from a report that nasal bleeding occurred amongst workers handling the timber but the several specimens of G. thomfisonii and of G. cedrata used during 1954-1956 in a full investigation of its extraneous constituents1 did not possess this property. Light-petroleum extraction of both woods gives considerable quantities of steam-volatile hydrocarbons. These have not been investigated in detail although one sample yielded impure (+)-cadinene 2 and in another bisabolene was also Investigations in 1954Investigations in -1956

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