162 



ODOROGEAPHIA. 



change, and during recent years preference has been given to the 

 artificial Cognacs. 



Oil of Anise is said to be used in many compound perfumes, 

 such as the Eau-de-Cologne of Marie of Dijon (but not that of 

 Jean-Marie-Farina). It is also used considerably in medicine. 



The yield per cent, of essential oil from the fruit of Fimpinella 

 Anisum is as follows : — 



Eussian ... ... ... ... ... 2*8 



Thuringian 

 Moravian . , 

 Chilian 

 Spanish 

 Levantine ., 



2-4 

 2-6 

 2-4 

 3-0 

 1-3 



Oil of Anise is a neutral, very pale yellow, somewhat syrupy 

 liquid. It consists of two distinct bodies, one of which solidifies 

 at 15^ C. (59^ F.), while the other remxains fluid at all tempera- 

 tures. The former is known as AnetJiol, or "Anise Camphor," 

 C10H12O. The proportion of these two constituents varies 

 slightly in different specimens of the pure oil, but generally the 

 anethol constitutes four-fifths of the whole. By exposure to the 

 air, the crude oil absorbs oxygen, the anethol being gradually 

 converted into anisic aldehyde, and probably some resinification 

 takes place in the terpene, this oxidation being accompanied by 

 certain changes in the physical characters of the oil, it becomes 

 more syrupy, its specific gravity increases, and its melting point is 

 lowered. By repeatedly melting it in contact with air, the oil 

 finally loses the property of solidifying by cold. 



In order to obtain the anethol in a state of purity, it is freed 

 from the liquid portion of the oil by repeated pressure between 

 folds of filtering paper and then several times crystallised from 

 alcohol of sp. gr. 0-85. It crystallises in soft, absolutely white, 

 lustrous laminae, having an odour similar to, but more agreeable 

 and less rank than the crude oil, in fact representing the anise 

 aroma in the purest and most perfect form. It is very friable, 

 especially at 0° C. 



Oil of Fimpinella Anisum appears to be almost identical with 

 oil of Star Anise derived from a totally different plant, and cannot 

 be distinguished chemically or optically, except by Eykmann's 

 colour test hereafter described. They differ however in point of 



