Abstract Attempts to verify the first three stages of a clalmed synthesis of the acomtme skeleton (Samir Chatterlee, Tetrahedron Lett. 3249 (1979) have given totally different results. It is concluded that the reported products of these three stages were not in fact obtamed ... The communication cited above' presented evidence of chemical and physical findings so abnormal in so many respects that a caution was issued 2 against accepting tne claims before verification
