206 



M. B. WELCH AND A. R. PENFOLD. 



confirmed, the oil obtained giving a reading on the polari- 

 meter of +13*65°. 



As the samples of oil of dextrorotation were rather 

 small, the thujone was not isolated from them in a con- 

 dition of purity, the oil from Bundanoon of Isevorotation 

 being used for that purpose. Specimens thus prepared 

 through the bisulphite compound were found to be of 

 specific rotation [a] D 20° O. - 72*3°. The literature records 

 — 10*23° for alpha thujone (lsevorotatory), and +76*16° for 

 beta thujone (dextro-rotatory). Alpha thujone of almost 

 equivalent optical activity to that of beta thujone has thus 

 been separated. 



Experimental: — The 176 fibs, of plant material collected 

 at Narrabeen near Sydney, and Bundanoon, Southern dis- 

 trict, N.S.W,, at different periods, yielded on distillation 

 crude oils, which on examination gave the chemical and 

 physical characters as shewn in the following table, viz: — 



Date. 



Locality. 



Percent- 

 age 

 Yield. 



Specific 

 Gravity 

 20° C. 



Optical 

 rotation, 

 Degrees. 



Refractive 

 Index, 

 20° C. 



Solubility 

 in 70% 



Alcohol. 

 Vols. 



Ester Number 



before after 



Acetylation 



1/9/20 



Narrabeen 



0-52 



0-9152 



-20-20 



1-4531 



1 in 1-5 







6/9/20 



Ditto 



0-66 



0-9141 



+ 13-91 



1-4543 



ditto 



17-8 



43 



.27/9/20 



Bundanoon 



(corr.) 



0-55 



0-9152 



-45-60 



1-4524 





1914 



49-28 



16/2/21 



Ditto ditto 



0-57 



0-9121 



-56-54 



1-4569 



1 in 2 



11-22 



38-2 



16/6/21 



Narrabeen 



0-57 



0-9128 



+ 13-65 



1-4526 



1 in 1-5 







On distillation the various samples of oils behaved as 

 follows, viz: — 



1/9/20, Narrabeen. — Commenced to distil at 194° O. at 

 760 mm. and gave between 90 - 95%, boiling at 195-200° 

 ■O. This fraction had the following characters: — 



Specific gravity at 19° C 0*9145 



Optical rotation -20*65° 



Refractive index, 16° C 1*4539 



