— 19 — 



who last year, in spite of the abundant crop, succeeded by their mani- 

 pulations in driving the prices upwards, are scarcely likely to allow them- 

 selves to be deprived of their rich prospective gains. It will therefore 

 be advisable to be prepared for surprises this year. At the first anise 

 market, which was held on 10 th September at Krasnoya, the supplies were 

 very small and of rather poor quality, so that the transactions were un- 

 important. As the crop is good in quantity it is probable that the next 

 fair, which is to be held on 27 th September at Alexeyefka, will be more 

 abundantly supplied, and that it will then be possible to form an opinion 

 of the market value for the present year. 



A. W. Knapp 1 ) has studied the changes which anise oil undergoes 

 with ageing. He has examined two oils, respectively about 10 and 23 years 

 old, and has again observed the fact, long since known 2 ), that in the 

 course of time 3 ) the crystallising tendency of the oil undergoes dimunition, 

 and that at last it altogether ceases to solidify, while concurrently the sp. 

 gr. rises and the solubility is increased. The index of refraction falls, as 

 already observed by us in the case of anethol 4 ). 



It was news to us to find it stated that in the course of time the 

 rotation changes from left to right. Knapp infers this to be the case 

 because both his oils were dextrorotatory, but he fails to prove that they 

 were originally lasvorotatory. As one of the two samples was a star-anise 

 oil, we need only point out that dextrorotatory star-anise oils are also 

 known to occur. Knapp was unable to find out anything as to the nature 

 of the products which had been formed, tests for anisic aldehyde and 

 anisic acid having yielded no results. Umney 5 ) regards it as probable 

 that polymerous products are formed. In connection with this we may 

 observe that in the case of pure anethol the following products of con- 

 version have been observed, viz.: anisic aldehyde, anisic acid 6 ), and a 

 compound called photoanethol 7 ) which is identical with di-p-methoxy 

 stilbene. 



Anise bark Oil. When, a good many years ago, we distilled a bark 

 from Madagascar described as "Anise bark" s ), we were unfortunately unable 

 to give any particulars as to the botanical origin of the material, and could 

 only express the surmise that it might possibly be derived from a species 

 of Illicium. Dr. Giessler, Curator of the Botanical Institute of the University 

 of Leipzig, has now ascertained, after careful examination of the bark, that 

 it is not the product of any species of Illicium, but of the Avocato Pear, 



!) Chemist and Druggist 77 (1910), 197. 



2 ) Gildemeister and Hoffmann, The Volatile Oils, p. 561. 



3 ) Especially when kept under unsuitable conditions. 



4 ) Report October 1904, 42. 



5 ) Perfum. and Essent. Oil Record 1 (1910), 29. 



6 ) Report October 1904, 42. 



•) Hoering and Gralert, Berl. Berichte 42 (1909), 1204; Report October 1909, 162. 

 *) Report April 1892, 53; Gildemeister and Hoffmann, The Volatile Oils, p. 690. 



2* 



