- 84 — 



branches and wood of a tree which is said to be known there as "female 

 Priprioca". The botanical examination of the specimen was carried out by 

 E. G. Camus and A. Camus, with the result that the material was found to 

 derive from Ocotea (Mespilodaphne) pretiosa, Nees (N. O. Lauraceas) 1 ). 



A similar tree, producing a yellow wood, which however contains 

 no essential oil, is said to be known in Brazil as "male Priprioca". 



Upon distillation the branches of female Priprioca yielded 0,5% 

 essential oil, a very mobile liquid, with a pleasant odour reminding of 

 linaloe oil. Its constants were as follows: di 5 o 0,8912, a D -\- 7°20', 

 nD2oo 1,469, acid v. 1,4, ester v. 13,3, ester content (calc. as linalyl acetate) 

 4,65%, ester v. after acetyl. 165,2 = 51,8% alcohols, calculated as linalool. 

 The oil was soluble in any proportion in 80°/o alcohol and also in I 1 /* vols, 

 and more of 70% alcohol. Apparently it consists almost entirely of 

 linalool. 



The wood yielded 0,693% oil, which settled in two separate layers, 

 one heavier, the other lighter than water. The odour of the lighter fractions 

 reminded both of linaloe and of "rose wood", and in addition they had a 

 faint subsidiary odour of cinnamic alcohol. The following constants were 

 determined: di 5 o 0,9539, « D +8°48', n D2 oo 1,501, acid v. 0,7, sap. v. 

 100,8 =35,28 °/o ester, calculated as linalyl acetate, ester v. after acetyl. 

 205,1 =66,6% alcohol, calculated as linalool. It was soluble in 0,5 vol. 

 of 80% and in 1,5 vol. of 70% alcohol. 



The heavier fractions had an odour like linaloe oil and also reminded 

 somewhat of cinnamon and cinnamic alcohols. They gave the following 

 constants: di 5 o 1,0551, « D +3°8', n D2 oo 1,545, acid v. 3,5, ester v. 203,7, 

 ester v. after acetyl. 247,8. The oil was soluble in 4 vols, and more of 80% 

 alcohol, insoluble in 70% alcohol. As regards esters, it contained acetates 

 and benzoates (m. p. of the free benzoic acid 119 to 120°). The benzoic 

 acid probably occurs in combination with linalool or geraniol. Finally the 

 total oil was prepared by mixing the lighter and heavier portions, and was 

 found to possess the following properties: di 5 o 0,9808, a D +7°12', 

 n D2 oo 1,519, acid v. 2,1, sap. v. 128,1, ester, v. after acetyl. 219,8, soluble 

 in its own vol. and more of 80% alcohol, and in 5,5 vols, and more of 

 70% alcohol. 



Origanum Oil. Evans Sons, Lescher S Webb, Ltd., 2 ) have found a 

 Greek origanum oil to possess the following constants: d 15 , 50 0,9351, 

 « D ±0°, n D22 o 1,502, phenol content 63%, soluble in 4 vols, and more 

 of 70% alcohol. 



Origanum Oil, Cretan. Generally speaking, our knowledge of the 

 botanical derivation of Cretan origanum oil is as yet very imperfect. It is 



x ) On the Oil of Ocotea usambarensis, see Report April 1906, 68. 

 2 ) Analytical Notes 1910, January 1911 



