148 ODOROGRAPHIA. 



market — the residual thymene and cymene being passed off as 

 " Oil of Thyme." These last mentioned constituents have a very 

 different odour to genuine oil of thyme, and are unsuitable to the 

 perfume manufacturer, except for employment in very common 

 soaps. 



Undiluted thymol is an energetic caustic. According to 

 Bucholz, thymol possesses ten times the septic power of carbolic 

 acid, over which it also has the advantage of being non-poisonous, 

 and of giving off an agreeable odour. 



One of the known sources of Thymol is the essential oil of 

 Monarda 2yunctata, which see. 



The Thymus serpyllv^m, found on the temperate Western 

 Himalaya (the seeds of which are used medicinally in the Punjab), 

 is of comparatively little value, as its oil contains but a small 

 proportion of thymol. 



Thymol is also know^n chemically as Metacymophcnol, Cg H-.,Cg 

 H3(0H)CH3. 



On distillation with phosphorus pentasulphide, it yields 

 cymene, and is decomposed into metacresol and propylene by 

 heating with phosphorus pentoxide.* As a phenol it forms salts, 

 ethers and ethereal salts, such as : — 



Thymyl methyl ether, C^o H^ 3 OCH3. Boiling at 216^-7 C.f 



Thymyl ethyl ether, C.^ Hj 3OC2 H^. Boiling at 222^.+ 



Thymyl acetate, C^ ^ H, 3 OC, H, 0. Boiling at 244"-7. 



Thymyl benzoate, Q^^Ii^^OG, H.O. Melting at 32°.§ 



Zataria multiflora, Boiss. A small labiate herbaceous plant 

 found on the hills near Muscat, in Arabia. The dried plant is 

 much used in India in infusion as an agreeable aromatic stimulant, 

 and is sold in the Bazars under the name of Saatar. It has a 

 fragrant odour like lemon-thyme, and consists of small ovate, or 

 nearly round, dotted, entire, rather leathery leaves, the largest of 

 which are about \ of an inch long ; mixed with them are portions 

 of a slender woody stem and numerous minute flowers, forming 

 knotted clusters upon a slender spike ; each flower is furnished 



* Zeitschr. Chem,, 1869, p. 621. 

 f Bull. Soc. Chini., xxv., p. 32. 

 It: Zeitschr. Chem., 1865, p. 532. 

 § Journ. Prakt. Chem. [2], xxxvi., p. 7. 



