NUTMEGS AND MACE. 23 



is from 8 to 10 per cent. The oil is straw-coloured ; sp. gr. 0-93, 

 consisting principally of a hydrocarbon C^q H^ g, boiling at 165^ C. 

 It appears, by the researches of Dr. Wright,* that this is a 

 mixture of at least two hydrocarbons, one a terpene boiling at 163°, 

 the other ordinary cymene. This last was extracted by treating 

 the mixture of hydrocarbons with sulphuric acid, whereby the 

 terpene became resinized. On distillation with water, cymene 

 passed over unaltered ; when purified, this was found to be 

 identical with all the other known varieties of cymene. Oil of 

 nutmeg also contains an oxygenated constituent which Gladstone 

 named Myristicol, and assigned the formula C\qHi^O, boiling 

 near 212°. (Wright states that the analytical numbers of this 

 body agree better with the formula C;^^ H^g 0). 



Examined by polarised light in a 200 m.m. tube, oil of nutmeg 

 (distilled in London) was found to deviate the ray 15°-3 to the 

 right ; and oil of " long " nutmeg 28^-7 to the right.f 



The results of Dragendorff's experiments respecting the 

 solubility of oil of nutmeg in alcohol are as follows if (the sample a 

 being obtained from Herr Zeise, as pure ; the sample h was not 

 distilled so recently) : — 



1 c.c. of oil mixed with 91 per cent. was almost clear in 2 c.c. 



alcohol was clear in of alcohol of same 



all proportions. strength. 



,, Avas quite clear in 3 c.c. was almost clear in 7 c.c. 



of 87 per cent, alcohol. of alcohol of same 



strength. 



,, was very nearly dis- 



solved in 6 c.c. of 85 

 per cent, alcohol, and 

 formed a perfectly 

 clear solution in 8 c.c. 

 of the same. 



The strength of the spirit used in these experiments is according 

 to Tralles' alcoholometer which gives the percentage volume for 

 the temperature of GO'' F. 



By fractional distillation of oil of nutmeg, Semmler § isolated a 

 body ha\T[ng the peculiar odour of mace, and represented by the 



*" Pharm. Journ. [3] iv., p. 311. 



f Fliickiger and Hanbury, Hist, des drogues, ii., p. 219. 



X Pharm. Journ. [3] vi., p. 554. 



§ Ber. Deutsche. Chem. Ges. 1890, p. 1803. 



