SANTAL-WOOD. 407 



grammes of the sample is accurately weighed into an Erlenmeyer 

 flask, 10 c.c. of an approximately semi-normal alcoholic solution of 

 caustic potash added, and the whole boiled under a return 

 condenser for half-an-hour. Side by side with this another 

 experiment is conducted as a blank, using only the potash solution. 

 After the boiling, the remaining alkali is determined by titration 

 with decinormal hydrochloric acid, using phenol-phthalein as 

 indicator, the difference between the amount required in the two 

 experiments being due to the alkali combined with the oil. 



" Sample Xo. 1, to which 5 '2 per cent, of castor oil had been 

 added, required for saponification 1'4:0 per cent, of potassic hydrate, 

 indicating 5*6 per cent, of adulterant, if we take 18 per cent, as 

 the percentage required for castor oil. For the application of this 

 test I should suggest that the amount of K H required in excess 

 of '10 per cent should be multiplied by 5'5 to obtain the approxi- 

 mate amount of fatty oil, thus allowing a fair margin for somewhat 

 abnormal samples of santal-wood oil." 



In conclusion, Mr. Cripps suggests that the official description 

 of the characters and tests of santal-wood oil should be modified 

 as follows : — " Thick in consistence, pale yellow or nearly 

 colourless, possessing a strongly aromatic odour, a pungent and 

 spicy flavour and a neutral or slightly acid reaction. Its sp. gr. 

 should not be below -970. At 60^ F. (15-5 C.) it forms a clear, or 

 at most a faintly opalescent solution with five times its volume of 

 a mixture of five fluid parts of rectified spirit with one fluid part 

 of distilled water. It rotates the plane of polarisation of a ray of 

 polarised light strongly to the left. Two drops of the oil added to 

 six drops of nitric acid, sp. gr. I'o, on a white tile should give a 

 yellow or bright reddish-brown coloration, without any green, 

 indigo, or violet tint at the edges during five minutes. For 

 complete saponification in alcoholic solution, it requires not more 

 than 1 per cent, of potassium hydrate." 



Messrs. Schimmel & Co. state that the above Cripps' solubility 

 requirements for a good quality oil are in accord with their own 

 experience, as may be seen from the following table relating to 

 a few samples of their own distillation* and addf that "Cripps' 

 test is capable of being made somewhat more stringent by using 



♦ Beiicht, April, 1893. 

 t Ibid., October, 1893. 



