LAVENDER. 369 
perienced or untrustworthy people, the oil may be either spoiled 
or “ manipulated.” 
A scientific examination of perfectly pure French oil of lavender 
has recently been executed in the laboratory of those indefatigable 
investigators Messrs. Schimmel & Co. of Leipzig, the results of 
which are of such practical importance in the evaluation of the 
oil and of such interest generally, that it may here be allowable to 
quote at some length from the details published up to the present 
(April, 1892) by that firm:—Lavender oil contains only minute 
traces of low-boiling constituents. Cineol, which occurs, as is 
well known, in the Lavandula spica in considerable quantity, 
could not be discovered, nor could camphor, which, according to 
old authorities, is said to be a most important constituent of 
lavender oil. 
The principal constituent of the oil is an alcohol, C,)H,.O, and 
its acetic ester. This alcohol boils between 197° and 199° C. ; 
sp. gr. 0°869 at 20° C.; optical rotation —10° 35! in 100 mm. 
tube. Refraction equivalent for sodium light, 1°464. 
If this alcohol be heated with acid sulphate of potassium, or 
with dilute sulphuric acid, or other dehydrating agents, a mixture 
of hydrocarbons is obtained, amongst which Dipentine, cha- 
racterized by the tetrabromide melting at 125° C., and Terpinen, 
melting-point of the nitrite 155° C., could be detected. By oxi- 
dation of the alcohol, an aldehyde of the composition C,,H,,O 
was obtained, which is identical with Citral (Semmler’s geranium 
aldehyde). The sp. gr. of this aldehyde is 0°898 at 15° C., boiling- 
point at 10 mm. pressure 105°-107° C., refraction equivalent 1°490. 
By the action of dehydrating agents Cymol, (C,)H,,) was formed. 
The alcohol of lavender oil combines with four atoms of 
bromine. With hydrochloric acid, a liquid compound of the 
composition C,)H,,Cl, results. By the action of acid anhydrides 
the corresponding esters may be prepared. The acetic, propionic, 
butyric, valerianic, and benzoic acid esters were actually prepared, 
all of which are pleasant smelling liquids. The acetic ester 
arouses considerable interest, first because it occurs ready formed 
in lavender oil, and next because it possesses such a characteristic 
bergamot odour that it immediately suggested its presence in 
bergamot oil—an hypothesis which proved to be quite correct. 
Bergamot oil in fact contains about 40 per cent. of this ester. 
On comparison of lavender alcohol with numerous other known 
2B 
