— 132 — 



Parry 1 ) in an article on spike oil, which consists in substance of 

 familiar facts, recommends the testing of the oil for purity by splitting it 

 up into ten equal fractions and determining the rotation and refractive 

 index of each fraction. Pure spike oil is said to have the characteristic 

 property that the separate fractions only differ slightly from each other 

 and from the original oil in their rotation and refractive indices. In four 

 authentic oils the refractive indices of the first 8 fractions varied from 

 1,4615 to 1,4676 (20°), while the rotations moved within the following limits: 

 Sample 1: +0°35' to +3° 30'; Sample 2: —2° 30' to +4° 30'; Sample 3: 

 + 4° to +7° 45'; Sample 4: +5 to + 9°. Generally speaking, Parry 

 regards it as justified to demand a minimum alcohol-content (calculated for 

 borneol), of 30°/ , but a slightly smaller percentage would give no cause 

 for impugning the purity of the oil, as undoubtedly genuine Spanish oils 

 are met with which contain only 27 to 29°/ borneol. 



In Parry's opinion it is not always easy to detect an adulteration 

 with small quantities of rosemary oil or with certain Spanish oils. 



Tansy Oil. We have been able further to reduce the prices, inasmuch 

 as according to the reports of our informant in Michigan the area under 

 cultivation amounts this year to 187 acres, which is probably equivalent 

 to an output of about 1600 lbs. In addition, the greater part of last year's 

 oil is still in the hands of producers, and this fact naturally exercises a 

 corresponding influence upon the value. 



Oil from the flowers of Trifolium incarnatum. The investigations 

 of Power, referred to below, have induced H. Rogerson 2 ) to subject to 

 distillation the flowers of a species of clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.) from 

 which he obtained a yield of 0,029% (calculated for dry), or 0,006°/o (cal- 

 culated for green) herb, of a pale yellow oil. The oil, which had a power- 

 ful odour, distilled between 120 and 180° (15 mm.); df£ 0,9597; « D — 1°48'. 

 The only constituent found in it was furfurol. 



Oil from the flowers of Trifolium pratense. Power and Salway 3 ) 

 have distilled an essential oil from the flowers of red clover (Trifolium 

 pratense L.). The yield was 0,028°/o calculated for dried, and 0,006 °/o 

 calculated for fresh, material. The oil, which had a rather unpleasant 

 odour, possessed the following constants: d§§ 0,9476, « D + 4°10'. Fur- 

 furol was found to be one of its constituents. 



Turpentine Oil. An article in an American periodical 4 ) discusses the 

 prospects of the turpentine oil market in the immediate future. The argument 

 starts from the fact that the price of turpentine oil at Savannah on June 10, 1908 



2 ) Americ. Perfumer 5 (1910), 114. 



2 ) Journ. chem. Soc. 97 (1910), 1004. 



3 ) Ibidem 232. 



^) Oil, Paint and Drug Reporter 77 (1910), No. 25, p. 7. 



