— 149 — 



this cheap article is not only not absolutely free from chlorine, but that 

 its odour is so questionable as to make it really unsuitable for perfumery 

 purposes. Owing to the supply of those cheap kinds a good deal of 

 prejudice has been created against this useful odoriferous substance; 

 but this prejudice will certainly be dispelled in the case of all those who 

 use our manufacture, which is capable of fulfilling the severest conditions. 



Borneo Camphor. In a voluminous paper containing numerous 

 botanical, geographical, and ethnographical details, J. M. Janse 1 ) deals with 

 the collection of Borneo camphor. We cull the following particulars from 

 this article: — The parent-plant of Borneo camphor (Dryobanalops aro- 

 matica Gaertn. N. O. Dipterocarpaceas), a majestic tree attaining a height of 

 up to 60 m., occurs in the Islands of Sumatra and Borneo, being in some places 

 very plentiful, especially so in the neighbourhood of Baros (Sumatra), for 

 which reason Borneo camphor often goes by the name of Baros camphor. 

 The article is much in request, especially by the Chinese, and is very 

 costly, $ 1,25 and more per ounce being paid for it. It is collected by 

 persons who make that work their special trade, and its gathering is 

 attended by peculiar ceremonies of a quasi-religious character 2 ). Curiously 

 enough some trees only contain the solid camphor, while others only 

 yield the liquid oil. Janse believes that the explanation of this fact may 

 be found in the circumstance that some of the trees are infested with 

 large larvae, possibly the larvae of beetles which bore holes in the wood. 

 The essential oil collects in these holes and under favourable conditions 

 it is possible that borneol may crystallise out from the oil and deposit 

 itself in the fissures of the wood. This might explain why the camphor 

 found in the wood of Dryobanalops aromatica consists of almost pure borneol. 



Earlier observations appeared 3 ) to indicate that the essential oil of 

 Dryobanalops contained no borneol, but van Romburgh has privately in- 

 formed the author that he has recently examined the oil again and has 

 found it to contain d-borneol as well as pinene. 



Cabureiba Balsam. Some time ago Schaer 4 ) reported on a rare 

 balsam which he had obtained from Brazil, and which was most probably 

 identical with the cabureiba balsam described by Piso ("Baume du Perou 

 brim" or "rouge en coques" of Guibourt). Recently Tschirch and Werdmuller 5 ) 

 have examined a small quantity of this balsam. Benzoic acid (m. p. 121°) 

 was found to be a constituent of the ethereal extract. Cinnamic acid was 

 not detected. Vanillin was found to occur in the saponification liquid of 

 the resinous portion. 



x ) Annales du Jardin botanique de Buitenzorg, Second series, Suppl. III. 1910, 947. From 

 a reprint kindly sent to us. 



2 ) Comp. Report April 1905, 99. 



! ) Comp. Report April 1907, 25. 



*) Arch, der Pharm. 247 (1909), 176; Report October 1909, 138. 



*) Ibidem 248 (1910), 431. 



