232 ODOEOGRAPHIA. 



under notice belongs to the class of phenols, although its action 

 on sulphuric acid and the hydroxides of potassium, sodium and 

 barium, is less manifest than with many other substances of the 

 phenol class. Professor Atfield, commenting on this opinion, 

 noticed that Professor Fliickiger had used solutions in alkalies, 

 and it was not very easy to get perfectly definite compounds 

 which would stand evaporation by putting carbolic acid into 

 alkaline solutions ; but if carbolic acid were mixed with the 

 strong alkali, fusion was effected, and it was quite possible that if 

 this phenol were mixed with its equivalent proportion of solid 

 alkali a compound must be produced.) 



As to the other constituents of buchu oil, the portion which 

 had been exhausted with caustic lye was again shaken with the 

 same, when it was entirely dissolved, but immediately separated 

 on addition of much w^ater. This oil, washed with water and 

 dehydrated with powdered chloride of calcium, was distilled. 

 Very little passed until 205^ C. (401^ F.) was reached. The main 

 portion came over between 205° and 210° C, a small amount only 

 was collected above the latter boiling point. All the various 

 fractions of the oil assumed a green coloration when mixed with 

 aqueous or alcoholic perchloride of iron. The oil boiling between 

 205° and 210° C, is remarkable on account of its odour, which 

 agrees very nearly with that of 2^ei^permint. This oil is devoid of 

 rotatory power; submitted to elementary analysis, 01942 gram. 

 of it gave C0„ : 0-5528 gram. = 01508 C. and 0H„ : 0-2064 

 gram. = 0'0229 H., that is to say 77-6 per cent. C. and 11-79 per 

 cent. H. The formula CioHigO requires 77-92 C and 11-69 per 

 cent. H. The main portion of the buchu oil, after the extraction 

 of the phenol, is thus shown to consist of one of the numerous 

 modifications of the molecule Cj^qH^^O. From some experiments 

 with the crude oil of buchu, instituted by Dr. Power, it would 

 appear that the compound CioHigO is contained in the oil in the 

 form of a compound ether. 



Chamomile. 



Although of no value as an ingredient in perfumes and flavours, 

 Chamomile yields an essential oil, which is interesting on account 

 of its chemical constitution. The common chamomile is the 



