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Chemistry. — "Tke essential oil of Litsea odonfem Val {Trawas 

 oil)". By Prof, van Romburgh. (Preliminary communication,. 



(Communicated in the meeting of September 30, 1911). 



Some years ago I received from Dr. Boorsma of Buitenzoi-g a 

 small bottle of an essential oil obtained by distilling with water 

 trawas leaves which are sold at the "pasar" (market) at Biiitenzorg as 

 a medicine. The qnantity of oil was only sufficient for a preliminary 

 investigation. Having been since in Java myself, I was able to purchase 

 the whole of the leaves from some trawas trees, whilst Dr. dk Jong 

 was kind enough to prepare for me the essential oil in the agri- 

 cultural chemical laborator}^ at Buitenzorg. Meanwhile Dr. Valeton 

 had taken in hand the determination of the tree which belongs to 

 the family of the Laurineae and given 'üXhQivAvaeoï JAtsea odorifera 

 Val. I am much obliged to these gentlemen for their trouble. 



The trawas oil has a pale yellow colour and a disagreeable odour. 

 The Sp. Gr.j5 of the different specimens of the crude oil varied from 

 0,836 to 0,846 whilst the rotation in a 2.0 cm. tube amounted to 

 from — 10' up to — 7°. Under the ordinary pressure the bulk of 

 the oil passed over at 233°, under 10 mm. pressure most of it 

 distilled between 120° and 125°. 



The oil does not give aldehyde reactions. If it is shaken with a 

 solution of sodium hydrogen sulphite, a solid compound is formed, 

 which after washing with ether and decomposition with sulphuric 

 acid yielded a liquid which showed but a faint left-handed rotation. 

 An aqueous solution of potassium permanganate is decolourised by 

 the crude oil ; if so much of the oxidiser is added that the violet 

 colour no longer disappears and the mixture is then distilled in a 

 current of steam, an oily liquid passes over with the water \'ai)Ours, 

 which gives w^ith sodium hydrogen sulphite a crystallised compound. 



With semicarbazide and a little acetic acid the crude oil gives a 

 crystallised semicarbazone ; a portion of it, however, does not combine 

 with the reagent but gives a crystallised phenylurethane with phenyl- 

 isocyanate. 



An elementary analysis of the tViiction boiling at 233° gave results 

 which showed that it might be a mixture of compounds of the 

 composition CnHjoO, CuH^jO and CuH^^O. 



In order to separate the ketones from the alcoiiols a large quantity 

 of the oil was treated with semicarbazide and acetic acid. The semi- 

 carbazone formed melted at 114°. The melting point increased a 

 little on recrystallisation, but could not be got higher than 116°. 



