— 157 — 



Erlenmeyer. But in his investigation of various materials (storacic-«-cinna- 

 mic acid, from Honduras balsam, from Coca and from other sources), Richarz 

 was only able to detect slight differences. Synthetic cinnamic acid was 

 in the form of a chalky powder which could not be examined crystallo- 

 graphically. The dibromides and dichlorides of the various cinnamic acids, 

 too, only showed slight differences in their crystallographic-optical behaviour. 



For the manifestations of phototropy in the case of certain aldehydes, 

 and the relations between phototropy and molecular structure, see p. 178. 



On the inversion of menthone, see p. 181. 



Pharmaccvphysiological Notes. 



Our knowledge of the antiseptic action of essential oils 1 ) has been 

 enlarged by a new investigation which has been carried out by W. H. 

 Martindale 2 ). For the purpose of establishing a ratio between the comp- 

 arative bactericidal powers of various oils, the author has recourse 

 to the "phenol co-efficient". The determination of this value is carried 

 out in the following manner: The per cent, strength of the weakest lethal 

 dilution for a specified organism of a phenol solution is ascertained, and 

 the same is done for the disinfectant under examination. If a be the per cent, 

 strength of the phenol solution and b of the substance under examination, 

 g = the "phenol co-efficient". The bacteria are exposed to the action of 

 the solution of the oil under examination once for 2 1 /2 minutes and once 

 for 30 minutes and the mean of the phenol co-efficients of the results is 

 taken. A few oils were examined in aqueous solution but the majority 

 in saponaceous solutions, with which they readily form emulsions. The 

 table on page 128 gives the result of the examination. 



J. Hamalainen 3 ) reports on the chemical change of cineol after its 

 internal administration to rabbits. It leaves the system in the urine in 

 the form of hydroxycineolglucuronic acid, a body probably possessing 

 one of the two chemical formula? given below. 



I CH 2 • C (CH 3 ) • • C (CH 3 ) 2 • CH • CH 2 



| . o , 



CH 2 CHOCHCHOHCHOHCHCHOHC0 2 H 



II CH 2 • CH • C (CH 3 ) 2 • O • C (CH 3 ) • CH 2 



I I - -o j 



CH 2 CH • O • CH • CHOH • CHOH • CH • CHOH • C0 2 H 



J ) Comp. Report April 1903, 111; October 1903, 109; October 1906, 155; April 1908, 174; 

 October 1910, 168. 



2 ) Perfum. and Essent. Oil Record 1 (1910), 266. 



3 ) Skand. Arch. f. Physiol. 21 (1910), 1. From a reprint kindley sent tous. 



