THE ALUMNI JOURNAL. 



33 



Eugenol, Myrcene, Chavicol, Methyl- 

 eugenol, Methyl-chavicol, Phellandrene, 

 citral. The fact is emphasized that the 

 test for pinene deiermines adulteration of 

 this oil with oil of turpentine, and the 

 method of testing described. 



The decrease in the consumption of 

 cajuput oil is noted and taken in connec- 

 tion with the corresponding increased 

 consumption of the very similar article 

 Eucalyptus oil, the explanation is not 

 difficult. 



The physical properties of calamus oil 

 have undergone examination with the 

 establishment of a specific gravity of from 

 .962 to .970, and a rotation of + 13 de- 

 grees 8 minutes to 31 degrees. It is 

 pointed out that adulteration with cedar 

 wood oil or a fraction from gurjum balsam 

 could be made without affecting the speci- 

 fic gravity, while it would lower or even 

 reverse the rotation, and it is believed that 

 such adulteration has been encountered 

 in commerce. It is considered that + 10 

 degrees, is the lowest rotation proper for 

 a pure sample, which must give a clear 

 solution with 90 per cent, alcohol in all 

 proportions. 



Difficulty of obtaining supplies of cam- 

 phor oil are considered to be due to the 

 consumption in Japan of nearly the whole 

 of the product, aside from any influences 

 of the recent political situation. 



The sale of caraway oil from which a 

 portion of the carvol has been extracted 

 and the sale of adulterated carvol, are 

 said to prevail to an alarming extent. 

 The former product is readily distinguish- 

 ed by the falling of its specific gravity 

 below the normal, which is .908 to .910 

 at 15 degrees C. 



The adulteration of cassia oil has been 

 stimulated by the scarcity of supplies, 

 and it is stated that the greatest care is 

 necessary in the selection of this article. 

 The principal adulterant used in the 

 country of production is said to be resin, 



while alcohol is found to have been ad- 

 ded to parcels after their receipt in 

 Europe. It would appear that the de- 

 termination of the cinnamic aldehyde is 

 the only reliable method of determining 

 the value of this important oil. The 

 firm considers that a satisfactory sample 

 should yield from 70 to 75 per cent, of 

 aldehyde. 



Certain observations are reported as 

 leading to the conclusion that cedar- 

 camphor, of which mention has fre- 

 quently been made in older literature, 

 ' ' is not a constituent of fresh cedar 

 wood, but is formed in it only in the 

 course of prolonged preservation of the 

 wood under favorable conditions." 



Spurious oils of matricaria are at least 

 in some cases indicated by their failure 

 to congeal to a buttery consistency, due 

 to the presence of paraffine, which are a 

 constant constituent of the genuine arti- 

 cle. 



The exports of citronella oil from Cey- 

 lon have grown from six and one-half 

 million ounces in 1885 to more than fif- 

 teen million ounces in 1894. The United 

 States stands second in the consumption 

 of this article, taking about sixty per 

 cent, of the amount taken by the United 

 Kingdom. Considerable quantities of 

 this oil are consumed in the manufacture 

 of geraniol. 



The product of East African cloves for 

 the year 1894 is said to have reached the 

 enormous total of about 18,000,000 

 pounds. Some very valuable contribu- 

 tions to our knowledge of clove oil are 

 contained in the October report, but can- 

 not be here reproduced. 



A new variety of coriander fruit from 

 Tunis is reported, its size intermediate 

 between the Dutch and the Moravian, of 

 good bright color and fine aroma, but 

 not especially rich in the yield of oil. 

 Prof. H. H. Rusby. 

 (7o be continued.^ 



