— 23 — 



fore been restricted primarily to oil of the previous season. At the present 

 time the stock has already been reduced so seriously that it is hardly 

 likely to suffice until the spring of next year. 



Buchu Leaf Oil. Since April last there has been no change what- 

 ever in this article, which only plays a secondary part at the present day, 

 inasmuch as the scarcity of buchu leaves still persists. It is said that 

 buyers in the United States are prepared to pay prices for buchu leaves 

 which for us are altogether outside the range of practicability. 



From the leaves of JBarosma crenulata, L. we obtained 1,7% oil 

 possessing the following properties: di 5o 0,9364, a D — 15° 22', n D2 oo 1,48005, 

 soluble in 2,5 vols, and more 70°/o alcohol, with elimination of paraffin. 

 The original oil was coloured green by copper, but after removal of the 

 metal it was brownish yellow. The odour was mint-like (menthone?), the 

 diosphenol content was exceedingly slight, and when the sample was 

 placed in a freezing-mixture only paraffin separated out. 



In an English contemporary 1 ) a new species of buchu -leaves is 

 mentioned, which is probably derived from Barosma venusta. This species 

 differs from Barosma pulchella in its leaves, which are rounder in shape 

 and have no odour of citronella. When the leaves are crushed between 

 the fingers a pungent, acrid odour appears, which, after some time, recalls 

 that of anise and fenugreek. 



Oil of Buphane disticha. According to F. Tutin 2 ), the alcoholic 

 extract of the bulb of Buphane disticha, Herb. (N. O. Amaryllidacese), a 

 native of South Africa, yields a small percentage of an essential oil which 

 contains furfurol. 



Oil of Bupleurum fruticosum. The oil of Bupleurum fruticosum, L., 

 an umbelliferous plant which grows wild abundantly in the island of 

 Sardinia, has been described by L. Francesconi and G. Sanna 3 ). The 

 material was distilled in various stages of maturity and in different loca- 

 lities. The constants of the oil were as follow: di 5 o 0,8257 to 0,8692, 

 * + 19,72 to 45,50°, n 1,4783 to 1,4862, sap. v. 5 to 14, sap. v. after acetyl. 

 23,7 to 28,5. The oil-yield varied from 0,5 to 4,4%. 



The oil consisted chiefly of hydrocarbons; it contained only small 

 proportions of alcohols and esters. It was found that the oil-content 

 increases as the plant reaches maturity, and that the flowers contain more 

 oil than the leaves. Plants gathered at high altitudes contain more oil 

 than do those from the plains. The density, optical rotation and index 

 of refraction increase as the plant develops; they attain their maxima 



x ) Chemist and Druggist 78 (1911), 854. 



2 ) Proceed, chem. Soc. 27 (1911), 149. 



3 ) Gazz. chim. ital. 41 (1911), I. 395. Quoted from Journ. Soc. chem. Ind. 30 (1911), 921. 



