— 107 — 





B. p. (4 mm.) 



Percentage 

 proportion 



O150 



a 



Ester 

 content 



A 



40 to 45° 



15,0 



0,860 



— 27°30 



2,8V 



B 



45 „ 75° 



15,0 



0,894 



— 25° — 





C 



75 „ 80° 



24,0 



0,930 



— 24° — 



19,0°/ o 



D 



80 „ 85° 



7,5 



0,935 



— 30°50 





E 



85 „ 100° 



35,0 



0,940 



— 40° — 



31,0%. 



The author was able to prove the presence, in fraction A, of 1-phellandrene, 

 which was sufficiently identifiable from its nitrosite (m. p. 105 to 105*72°) 

 as well as by its constants (b. p. 175 to 176° [755 mm.]; di 5 o 0,8575°; 

 « — 26°0'). Fraction E, which possessed a marked odour of spearmint, 

 was saponified. In the saponification-liquor, acetic acid, together with 

 small proportions of valeric acid (probably isovaleric acid ?) were identified. 

 The alcoholic part consisted to the extent of 15°/ of dihydrocuminic alcohol. 

 (di 5 o 0,9539; « — 30° 15'), which yielded the well-known naphthyl urethane 

 melting at 146 to 147° and also, when oxidised with Beckmann's mixture, 

 an aldehyde (m. p. of the semicarbazone 198 to 199°), and an acid melting 

 at 132°. According to the author's observations, dihydrocuminic alcohol 

 in solution with benzene reacts, "under suitable conditions", with phthalic 

 anhydride, but it is more practicable to separate it without a solvent at 

 125° by boiling with phthalic anhydride. When the fraction E was saponified 

 the typical spearmint-odour disappeared, hence, in Elze's opinion, the 

 dihydrocuminic acetate is the carrier of the odorous principle of the oil 1 ). 



Spike Oil. The fine qualities produced in the departments of the 

 Var, Alpes-Maritimes and Basses-Alpes, which are mostly characterised 

 by their excellent solubility, have been in exceeding request during the 

 past winter, in particular because they are notoriously chiefly used on the 

 spot as adulterants of lavender oil. If such a keen demand could have 

 been foreseen there is no doubt that the preparation of spike oil in these 

 districts would have been taken up with more assiduity last summer than 

 was actually the case. But the distillers had been discouraged by the 

 competition of the cheap varieties such as are prepared in the department 

 of the Gard, and especially in Spain, varieties which, in spite of their 

 generally very imperfect quality, have obtained a footing among many large 

 consumers in the soap-making industry on account of their cheapness. 



Staranise Oil. As was to be anticipated, the low prices at which 

 it was possible to buy freely at the beginning of last year, could not 

 continue for ever. And although on the European market the quotations 

 have only fluctuated slightly, this was to be ascribed to the fact that the 

 opportunity of making cheap purchases had been taken advantage of 

 everywhere, and that the consumers held ample supplies, which depressed 



*) We have already prepared this ester on a previous occasion (Walbaum and Hiithig, 

 Journ. f. prakt. Chem. 71 (1905), 472), when we called attention to its powerful spearmint odour. 



