UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 5
ANNUAL STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP
(X) Check box if no longer subject to Section 16.
Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instructions 1(b).
( ) Form 3 Holdings Reported
( ) Form 4 Transactions Reported
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person
   Brothers, John A.

   5200 Blazer Parkway
   Dublin, Ohio  43017
2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
   Ashland Inc.
   ASH
3. IRS or Social Security Number of Reporting Person (Voluntary)
   ###-##-####
4. Statement for Month/Year
   September 30, 1999
5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Year)

6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable)
   ( ) Director  ( ) 10% Owner  (X) Officer (give title below) ( ) Other
   (specify below)
   Senior Vice President
7. Individual or Joint/Group Reporting (Check Applicable Line)
   (X) Form filed by One Reporting Person
   ( ) Form filed by More than One Reporting Person


___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 Table I -- Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned                                                 |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
1. Title of Security         |2.    |3.  |4.Securities Acquired (A)         |5.Amount of        |6.Dir |7.Nature of Indirect       |
                             |Transaction|  or Disposed of (D)              |  Securities       |ect   |  Beneficial Ownership     |
                             |Date  |Code|                                  |  Beneficially     |(D)or |                           |
                             |      |    |                  | A/|           |  Owned at         |Indir |                           |
                             |      |    |    Amount        | D |    Price  |  End of Year      |ect(I)|                           |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
                                                                               
Common Stock                 |      |    |                  |   |           |18,544             |D     |                           |
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Common Stock                 |      |    |                  |   |           |7,776 (1)          |I     |By Trustee                 |
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Common Stock                 |      |    |                  |   |           |1,482 (2)          |I     |By Trustee                 |
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Common Stock                 |9-30-9|J (3|20,000            |D  |$33.625    |0                  |D     |                           |
                             |9     |)   |                  |   |           |                   |      |                           |
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___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 Table II -- Derivative Securitites Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned                                                   |
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1.Title of Derivative   |2.Con   |3.   |4.  |5.Number of De |6.Date Exer|7.Title and Amount  |8.Price|9.Number    |10.|11.Nature of|
  Security              |version |Transaction rivative Secu |cisable and|  of Underlying     |of Deri|of Deriva   |Dir|Indirect    |
                        |or Exer |Date |Code| rities Acqui  |Expiration |  Securities        |vative |tive        |ect|Beneficial  |
                        |cise Pr |     |    | red(A) or Dis |Date(Month/|                    |Secu   |Securities  |(D)|Ownership   |
                        |ice  of |     |    | posed of(D)   |Day/Year)  |                    |rity   |Benefi      |or |            |
                        |Deriva  |     |    |               |Date |Expir|                    |       |ficially    |Ind|            |
                        |tive    |     |    |           | A/|Exer-|ation|   Title and Number |       |Owned at    |ire|            |
                        |Secu    |     |    |           | D |cisa-|Date |   of Shares        |       |End of      |ct |            |
                        |rity    |     |    |  Amount   |   |ble  |     |                    |       |Year        |(I)|            |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
                                                                               
Option (4)              |30.50   |     |    |           |   |9-19-|10-19|Common Stock|6,250  |       |3,750       |D  |            |
                        |        |     |    |           |   |93   |-01  |            |       |       |            |   |            |
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                        |30.50   |     |    |           |   |9-19-|10-19|Common Stock|6,250  |       |6,250       |D  |            |
                        |        |     |    |           |   |94   |-01  |            |       |       |            |   |            |
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Option (4)              |23.875  |     |    |           |   |9-21-|10-21|Common Stock|12,500 |       |12,500      |D  |            |
                        |        |     |    |           |   |93   |-02  |            |       |       |            |   |            |
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                        |23.875  |     |    |           |   |9-21-|10-21|Common Stock|6,250  |       |6,250       |D  |            |
                        |        |     |    |           |   |94   |-02  |            |       |       |            |   |            |
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                        |23.875  |     |    |           |   |9-21-|10-21|Common Stock|6,250  |       |6,250       |D  |            |
                        |        |     |    |           |   |95   |-02  |            |       |       |            |   |            |
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Option (5)              |33.125  |     |    |           |   |9-16-|10-16|Common Stock|12,500 |       |12,500      |D  |            |
                        |        |     |    |           |   |94   |-03  |            |       |       |            |   |            |
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                        |33.125  |     |    |           |   |9-16-|10-16|Common Stock|6,250  |       |6,250       |D  |            |
                        |        |     |    |           |   |95   |-03  |            |       |       |            |   |            |
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                        |33.125  |     |    |           |   |9-16-|10-16|Common Stock|6,250  |       |6,250       |D  |            |
                        |        |     |    |           |   |96   |-03  |            |       |       |            |   |            |
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Option (5)              |35.875  |     |    |           |   |9-15-|10-15|Common Stock|12,500 |       |12,500      |D  |            |
                        |        |     |    |           |   |95   |-04  |            |       |       |            |   |            |
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                        |35.875  |     |    |           |   |9-15-|10-15|Common Stock|6,250  |       |6,250       |D  |            |
                        |        |     |    |           |   |96   |-04  |            |       |       |            |   |            |
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                        |35.875  |     |    |           |   |9-15-|10-15|Common Stock|6,250  |       |6,250       |D  |            |
                        |        |     |    |           |   |97   |-04  |            |       |       |            |   |            |
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Option (5)              |33.875  |     |    |           |   |9-21-|10-21|Common Stock|12,500 |       |12,500      |D  |            |
                        |        |     |    |           |   |96   |-05  |            |       |       |            |   |            |
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                        |33.875  |     |    |           |   |9-21-|10-21|Common Stock|6,250  |       |6,250       |D  |            |
                        |        |     |    |           |   |97   |--05 |            |       |       |            |   |            |
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                        |33.875  |     |    |           |   |9-21-|10-21|Common Stock|6,250  |       |6,250       |D  |            |
                        |        |     |    |           |   |98   |-05  |            |       |       |            |   |            |
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Option (5)              |39.00   |     |    |           |   |9-19-|10-19|Common Stock|12,500 |       |12,500      |D  |            |
                        |        |     |    |           |   |97   |-06  |            |       |       |            |   |            |
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                        |39.00   |     |    |           |   |9-19-|10-19|Common Stock|6,250  |       |6,250       |D  |            |
                        |        |     |    |           |   |98   |-06  |            |       |       |            |   |            |
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                        |39.00   |     |    |           |   |9-19-|10-19|Common Stock|6,250  |       |6,250       |D  |            |
                        |        |     |    |           |   |99   |-06  |            |       |       |            |   |            |
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Option (6)              |53.375  |     |    |           |   |9-18-|10-18|Common Stock|15,000 |       |15,000      |D  |            |
                        |        |     |    |           |   |98   |-07  |            |       |       |            |   |            |
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                        |53.375  |     |    |           |   |9-18-|10-18|Common Stock|15,000 |       |15,000      |D  |            |
                        |        |     |    |           |   |99   |-07  |            |       |       |            |   |            |
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Option (6)              |48.00   |     |    |           |   |9-17-|10-17|Common Stock|15,000 |       |15,000      |D  |            |
                        |        |     |    |           |   |99   |-08  |            |       |       |            |   |            |
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Common Stock Units (7)  |1-for-1 |     |J   |20,242     |A  |     |     |Common Stock|20,242 |       |38,057      |D  |            |
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___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|

Explanation of Responses:
1. Shares accrued under Ashland's Leveraged Employee Stock Ownership Plan as of
3-31-96, the date of the
final allocation to this
account.
2.  Based on Employee Savings Plan information as of 9-30-99 and includes
transactions occurring on or after
7-21-99.
3.  The Reporting Person's shares of restricted common stock granted pursuant
to Ashland's 1993 Stock Incentive
Plan vested on 9-30-99 and were deferred into the Common Stock Fund of
Ashland's Deferred Compensation
Plan.
4. Employee stock option (represents a right to buy Ashland Common Stock)
granted pursuant to Ashland's
Long-Term Incentive Plan.  The employee stock option includes a tax withholding
feature pursuant to the plan.
5. Employee stock option (represents a right to buy Ashland Common Stock)
granted pursuant to Ashland's 1993
Stock Incentive Plan.  The employee stock option includes a tax withholding
feature pursuant to the plan.
6. Employee stock option (represents a right to buy Ashland Common Stock)
granted pursuant to Ashland's 1997
Stock Incentive Plan.  The employee stock option includes a tax withholding
feature pursuant to the plan.
7. Common Stock Units acquired pursuant to Ashland's 1995 Deferred Compensation
Plan as of 9-30-99 and
includes transactions on or after 6-30-99 (including the deferral of formerly
restricted common stock which
vested on 9-30-99), payable in cash or stock upon termination of service and
exempt under Rule 16b-3(d).  The
price of the Common Stock Units on applicable date has varied from $34.688 -
$43.188.
SIGNATURE OF REPORTING PERSON
John A. Brothers
DATE
November 5, 1999