— 79 - 



Reports from Dominica 1 ) would appear to show that the experiments of 

 preparing oil of limette by mechanical means instead of by hand-pressure, 

 which have been carried on in that island for many years, have at last 

 been successful. Allport and Davenport have constructed for this purpose 

 a simple machine which, according to present experience, should satisfy 

 all requirements. 



Limette leaf Oil. We have received from the Imperial Institute in 

 London an oil distilled in Dominica from limette leaves. The oil was of 

 a pale yellow colour; its odour bore a resemblance to that pressed from 

 the peel of the fruit, but was more like that of lemongrass. di 50 0,8783; 

 « D + 37°30'; acid no. 3,6; ester no. 23,0; soluble in 0,5 vol 90 °/o alcohol; 

 opalescing when more than 4 vols, of the solvent was added. The oil 

 reacted with bisulphite to the extent of 43%, which probably consisted 

 only of citral. Owing to the small quantity of oil at our disposal, no 

 closer analysis was possible. 



Linaloe Oil. The trade in Mexican linaloe oil, which, as is well 

 known, is monopolised by a number of Hamburg importers, has been 

 exceedingly quiet during the last few months, and in spite of adroit 

 manipulation it is being found impossible to maintain the value at its 

 present level. It has already been necessary gradually to reduce the 

 quotations by a few marks, in order to make it possible to liquidate the 

 consignments which have arrived. The sluggishness of the market is 

 attributable in the first place to the unexpected competition which the 

 Mexican oil has recently experienced on the part of Cayenne linaloe oil, 

 the production of which has been augmented to a totally unexpected 

 extent. Formerly this variety was only imported in moderate quantities, 

 which were practically of no account in the market; but the shipments 

 have now reached such an importance that prices are beginning to 

 approximate dangerously to those of the Mexican oil. It is true that 

 Mexican linaloe oil is very far below the Cayenne variety in strength and 

 fineness of perfume, and we should regard it as a great tactical mistake 

 if the Hamburg firms referred to above failed to take this fact into sufficient 

 account in making their offers. We ourselves are very particular in our 

 purchases, and we only carry the finest oil of each variety. It has repeatedly 

 happened that certain parcels of Mexican linaloe oil, which upon their 

 arrival at Hamburg or Marseilles had to be rejected on account of inferior 

 quality, have finally, through the intermediary of certain of our competitors, 

 passed into consumption and have caused unpleasant and costly disap- 

 pointments. 



According to a report by the German Consul in Nagasaki, dated at 

 the beginning of the present year, linaloe oil has recently been manufactured 



*) Chemist and Druggist 77 (1910), 95. 



