— Ill — 



Oil of Thymus Mastichina. The labiate Thymus Mastichina, L. 1 ), 

 which has its habitat in the region of the Mediterranean, is known in Spain 

 as wood majoram (mejorana silvestre). 



Although considerable quantities of the plant are cultivated in Spain, 

 and the oil is also an export-article from that country, nothing is as yet 

 known of the constitution of the oil, and it is only recently that authentic 

 samples of it have been examined by B. Dorronsoro 2 ). It has a bright 

 yellow colour, turning darker with age, and a camphoraceous odour reminding 

 of thyme. Its constants are as follow: dg£ 0,907 to 0,945, « D — 0°50', 

 to +4° 40', n D230 1,4630 to 1,4654, sap. v. 12,7 to 18,5, ester-content 4,44 

 to 6,47 °/<> (calc. as linalyl acetate) ester v. after acet. 29,2 to 49,3 = 8,2 to 

 14,09% alcohol C 10 H 18 O. 



The oil is soluble in any proportion in 94°/ , in one-half to its own 

 vol. in 90°/ , and in 1 to 3 vols of 80% alcohol. It does not always dis- 

 solve readily in 70% alcohol, 30 vols, of this strength being occasionally 

 required to make a solution. 



The oil was split up into 8 fractions by distillation under reduced 

 pressure. 



% 



2,65 



43,00 



28,53 



6,25 



10,25 



3,75 



3,05 



Residue 2,50 — — 



As free acids, the oil contained acetic acid (determined by the ferric 

 chloride reaction and by conversion into its ethyl ester) and isovaleric 

 acid, determined by the b. p. and by the preparation of its isoamylic ester). 

 Other acids were also present, but in such minute quantities that it was 

 impossible to identify them. Acetic and isovaleric acid also occured 

 in the oil in the esterfied state. The oil moreover contained a phenol, 

 which did not crystallise, gave no colour reaction with ferric chloride, 

 and yielded no nitroso compound, notwithstanding which the author 

 does not exclude the possibility of its being thymol. From the portions 

 which reacted with bisulphite a body, — perhaps a ketone — possessing 

 a wine-like odour, was isolated by alkalies. The only terpene detected 

 in the oil was d-«-pinene: b. p. 168° (710 mm), m. p. of the nitroso- 



Temp. (98 to 100 mm) 



up 



to 100° 



100 



„ 110° 



110 



n 120O 



120 



„ 125° 



125 



„ 145° 



145 



„ 160° 



160 



« 175° 



n D220 



a D20O 



1,4600 



+ 3° 41' 



1,4620 



4-4° 



1,4605 



+ 1 ° 58' 



1,4617 



+ 0° 



1,4657 



— 3° 



1,4718 



— 4° 10' 



1,4784 



— 1 ° 55' 



*) See Willkomm, Grundziige der Pflanzenverbreitung auf der iberischen Halbinsel ; 

 Leipzig 1896. 



2 ) Contribucion al estudio de las esencias espanolas. Esencia de mejorana silvestre. 

 Madrid 1910. 



