64 HENRY G. SMITH. 



Ester determination : — 



2*0181 grams, required 0*3948 gram. KOH, giving a 



saponification number of 195*6, equal to 68*43 per 



cent, of geranyl-acetate. 

 2*308 grams, required 0*4508 gram. KOH, giving a 



saponification number of 195*3, equal to 68*35 per 



cent, of geranyl-acetate. 



A portion of the oil was then acetylised by boiling with 

 acetic anhydride and anhydrous sodium acetate in the 

 usual manner : — 



1*996 gram, of this esterised oil required 0*462 gram. 

 KOH, giving a saponification number of 231*5, 

 equal to 81*025 per cent, of geranyl-acetate. 



As 68*4 per cent, of ester occurred naturally in the oil, 

 the amount of ester formed with the free alcohol was 

 12*025 per cent. If this alcohol is considered to be entirely 

 geraniol, with a molecular formula Oi H 18 O, then the amount 

 of free alcohol in this sample of oil was 9*92 per cent., and 

 the ratio of ° °-^g# is iWr. 



Messrs. Schimmel & Oo. have also determined this inter- 

 changeability between the ester and free geraniol, the 

 results obtained by them on two consignments (private 

 communication) being as follows : — 



(1) Ester content before acetylising = 63*7°/° ; after 85*2°/°. 



(2) „ „ „ =71*68°/°; „ 80*5°f. 



In the semi-annual report issued by this firm, April 1902, 

 page 38, is published further results obtained with sample 

 No. 2. The crude oil was submitted to rectification in 

 vacuo when of course the eudesmol and other higher boil- 

 ing constituents remained in the still. The rectified oil 

 had an ester content 73*95 per cent., and although the oil 

 had been but little altered in its general properties, yet, 

 the rectification had improved the odour considerably. 



