— 92 — 



being less than one-half. This is a point of great importance, because 

 the ethereal extract contains the aromatic, i. e. the valuable, constituents 

 of powdered orris root, the quality of which depends directly upon the 

 percentage of aromatic principles contained in it. This deficient content 

 of material soluble in ether also explains the particularly weak odour of 

 the first, as compared with the other, samples. For the rest the ethereal 

 extract of sample No. 1 was normal, its acid and ester-numbers agreeing 

 with those of the other samples. As, according to the microscopical 

 examination, there was no question of adulteration with foreign ingredients, 

 the abnormal behaviour of the powder under examination can only be 

 explained by its having been partly extracted or, what amounts to the 

 same thing, by the admixture with it of extracted powder of orris root. 



Parsley Oil. In our last October Report we discussed a paper by Lutz 

 and Oudin 1 ) in which the authors described the pharmacological behaviour of 

 apiols of different origin. More recently, Lutz has continued his researches 2 ), 

 by investigating the effect upon the pressure of the blood in dogs of 

 crystallised and (?) yellow apiol, white apiolin and oil of parsley. Intra- 

 venous administration gave an almost equal degree of toxicity for the 

 four substances; they all had the effect of inflating the tissues and re- 

 ducing the pressure. 



In addition, the author observed a slowing down of the contractions 

 of the heart and an increase in their amplitude, but this was not the 

 case with yellow apiol, which reduces the volume of the contractions. In 

 the case of crystalline apiol the reduction of pressure is less permanent 

 than in that of the other preparations. After administration of about 3 cc, 

 equal to 3 g. per kilo weight of the body, shortness of breath was also 

 observed. 



Patchouli Oil. In our last Report we have already pointed out that 

 the distillation has been abandoned in India because it had become unre- 

 munerative, and this statement we are able to confirm to the fullest 

 extent. The result has been that patchouli herb has been offered in 

 large parcels, and that it has again been possible to take up the distilla- 

 tion in Europe on a considerable scale. We have been able to make a 

 corresponding reduction in the prices of our own distillate, and we do 

 not believe that, so far as can at present be foreseen, any want of this 

 important oil is to be feared. We prepare patchouli oil on the largest 

 scale imaginable, and are always able to supply our own oil in excellent 

 quality and properly matured, in which condition it is especially esteemed 

 by the perfumers. 



x ) Bull. d. Sciences pharmacol. 16 (1910); Report October 1909, 163. 



2 ) Bull. d. Sciences pharmacol. 17 (1910), 7; quoted from Chem. Zentralbl. 1910, I. 1275. 



