— 120 — 



a boiler with a capacity of from 200 to 500 pounds (sometimes an old 

 whiskystill) which is connected up with a condensing worm immersed 

 in a barrel. 



The leaves are fed into tho boiler overnight and over them water is 

 poured, which is kept at a temperature of 120° F. (49° C), in order to 

 split up the glucoside gaultherine, occurring in wintergreen. At about 

 5,30 a. m. the fire is lighted. The distillation requires from 5 to 6 hours. 

 The distillate is collected in bottles and the water which is on the top 

 of the oil is poured back into the still at the next distillation. About 90°/o 

 of the oil passes over during the first 3 hours; this is usually collected 

 separately, and constitutes first-quality oil. The oil-yield from the leaves 

 is from 0,55 to 0,8 °/o. The output of wintergreen oil in Monroe County 

 for the year 1910 is estimated at from 2500 to 2700 kilos (5600 to 6000 lbs.). 



G. M. Beringer 1 ) reports on a wintergreen oil which had been distilled 

 from material (Gaultheria procumbens) collected by himself. About the 

 same time, Prof. H. Kraemer, of Philadelphia, had also prepared a winter- 

 green oil, using for that purpose, in accordance with the directions of 

 the U. S. Pharmacopoeia, the leaves only, whereas Beringer had distilled 

 the entire plant Beringer's oil possessed a more penetrating odour and 

 turned yellow in keeping, while Kraemers distillate had a less pungent 

 odour and remained quite colourless after prolonged keeping. Beringer's 

 oil gave d 1,117, opt. rot. — 1,335°; Kraemer's d 1,1785, opt. rot. —0,26°. 

 The U.S. Pharmacopoeia gives for wintergreen oil « D25 o to —1°; hence, 

 if the oil of the entire plant is to be officinal, it will be necessary, Beringer 

 thinks, to alter the directions of the Pharmacopoeia. 



On the occurrence of methyl salicylate in parts of plants, seep. 162. 



Wormseed Oil. American wormseed oil which, as already mentioned 

 on a previous occasion, has lately acquired a reputation, in Germany 

 especially, as a reliable anthelmintic, has more than doubled in price 

 within the past six months, and it would appear to us that the upward 

 movement has not yet reached its climax. The forecast of our New York 

 branch has been realised to the full: the great drought has resulted in a 

 failure of the crop. Only about 2500 lbs. of oil have been prepared, a 

 large portion of which, immediately after the gathering of the crop, passed 

 into the hands of speculators, who naturally did their utmost to drive up 

 the prices. As the producers have obtained full prices for their oil, they 

 will probably pay more attention this year to the cultivation of wormseed, 

 and in consequence the quotations will probably return to a reasonable 

 level if the weather should be favourable. For reasons already explained 

 on a former occasion, Levantine wormseed oil has not been procurable. 



*) Americ. Journ. Pharm. 82 (1910), 437. 



