DARWINIAS OF PORT JACKSON AND THEIR ESSENTIAL OILS. 167 



below 195° and only 9 per cent, below 205°. In the third only 

 2 per cent, distilled between 183° and 215°, and only three per 

 cent, more below 220°; between 220° and 235° no less than 58 

 per cent, was obtained; this fraction was largely geranio), its 

 specific gravity was -8874 at 20°; it gave a solid compound with 

 calcium chloride, it formed citral on oxidation, it had an odour of 

 roses. It is thus evident that change had taken place during the 

 process of saponification by the methods used, as these three 

 determinations were made from different portions of the same 

 sample of oil. On ascertaining these facts, attempts were made 

 to remedy this, and it was subsequently found that saponification 

 of the ester takes place readily in the cold, using a semi-normal 

 alcoholic solution of potash, and that the saponification is practi- 

 cally complete under three hours as will be seen from the following 

 determinations : 



1-9563 gram oil was added to 20 cc. semi-normal alcoholic potash 

 and allowed to stand ten minutes at ordinary temperatures, it 

 was then found that 4 cc. of potash solution had been absorbed ; 

 saponification figure therefore was 57*1, equal to 20 per cent, of 

 ester, calculated as C 10 H 17 OOCCH 3 . 



1-274 gram, oil in 20 cc. alcoholic potash and allowed to stand 

 one hour at ordinary temperatures absorbed 7*3 cc. of potash 

 solution, saponification figure 160*4 equal to 56*1 per cent, of ester. 

 The regenerated oil had still a faint odour of the ester showing 

 that saponification had not been complete. 



1-35 gram oil in 20 cc. alcoholic potash and allowed to stand 

 three hours at ordinary temperatures absorbed 8*1 cc. potash 

 solution, saponification figure 168 equal to 58*8 per cent of ester. 



On allowing a sample to stand sixteen hours no different results 

 were obtained. From the results of saponification obtained by 

 boiling with the alcoholic potash solution for half an hour, it 

 appears that there is a small quantity of an ester present not 

 decomposed in the cold. When distilling off the volatile acids 

 an odour was detected indicating an acid other than acetic acid, 



