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Persea gratissima Gaertn., N. O. Lauraceae, a tree of which the original 

 habitat is tropical America, but which is now much cultivated throughout 

 the tropics, including East Africa and Zanzibar. We may repeat that, at 

 the time, the bark yielded 3,5°/o of a light yellow oil, which, in addition 

 to a small proportion of anethol, consisted mainly of methyl chavicol. 

 di 6 o 0,969; a D — 0°46'. The leaves of Persea gratissima contain an oil of 

 similar constitution, on which we have also reported on a previous occasion 1 ). 



Asafetida Oil. From an interesting article by J. C. Umney and 

 S. W. Bunker 2 ), we abstract the following particulars concerning the oil 

 content of the two commercial varieties of asafetida, that "in tears" 

 and that "in mass". On an average the essential oil content of these 

 two varieties is said to be approximately the same, and to vary between 

 12 and 16°/o. As a rule the "tears" contain a little less oil than does 

 the "mass"; but exceptionally good qualities of the former are richer 

 than the latter. Nevertheless, the composition of the two oils appears 

 to vary, and they show marked differences in respect of the proportion 

 of sulphur-compounds present in them. For, whereas oil from "mass" 

 only contained 2,06% sulphur, as much as 10,44% was found in oil from 

 "tears". This evidently explains why the odour of asafetida in "mass" 

 is less unpleasant than that of the same drug in "tears", and why the 

 last-named variety is often preferred for pharmaceutical purposes. Umney 

 and Bunker, however, doubt whether this preference is justified. 



The essential oil was determined by treating 10 g of the drug, first 

 for 48 hours and afterwards again for 24 hours, with 50 cc. ether on each 

 occasion. The residue was washed out with 30 cc. ether, after which 

 the two ethereal extracts were put together and distilled in vacuo. The 

 residual ether was then weighed, the oil evaporated at 130 to 140° and 

 the residue again weighed. The loss in weight was calculated as essential 

 oil. The method for determining essential oil and moisture in spices re- 

 commended by Cripps and Brown 3 ) was also applied in this case. 



It is difficult to say to what extent the essential oil content, and that 

 alone, is really determined by the method described by Umney and Bunker, 

 but the figures obtained are so extraordinarily high as hardly to appear 

 in accordance with fact, considering the experience gained on distillation 

 with steam. 



Oil of sweet Basil. In consequence of an alteration in our cultures, we 

 have unfortunately again been compelled to abandon our hope of being 

 able to prepare the principal part of our requirements by ourselves, and 

 we still remain dependent upon foreign supplies. As a result of unfa- 

 vourable climatic conditions we have been compelled to release our 



*) Report October 1894, 69; Gildemeister and Hoffmann, The Volatile Oils, p. 393. 



2 ) Chemist and Druggist 77 (1910), 205; Perfum. and Essent. Oil Record 1 (1910), 165. 



3 ) Comp. Report April 1910, 157. 



