— 24 — 



during the flowering-period, at the end of which they diminish again. The 

 ester-content of the leaves diminishes during the flowering and is largest 

 in the plants from the mountains. The leaf-oils contain more ester than 

 do the flower-oils; plants grown in a moist atmosphere are deficient in 

 ester. The sp. gr. of oils rich in ester is higher, and their rotatory power 

 lower than that of oils which are deficient in ester. The flowers contain 

 a larger proportion of free alcohol than the leaves and during the flowering 

 period the content of free alcohols increases at the expense of that of 

 the alcohols in combination. 



Cajuput Oil. We may complete our previous report by stating that 

 the exports of cajuput oil from Macassar in the year 1910 reached 1739 bas- 

 kets, compared with 1488 baskets in 1909, and that about one-half of the 

 shipments went to the United States. So far as any ^figures are available 

 for the present year, the shipments appear to have slightly declined, and 

 if in spite of that the prices have receded somewhat, this only affords a 

 fresh proof that the article is suffering from restricted demand. The cheap 

 eucalyptus oils, and especially our pure eucalyptol, which we are able to 

 offer on such favourable terms, now constitute competitors of cajuput oil, 

 the importance of which should not be underrated. 



Oil of Calamintha Nepeta. Two oils 1 ), distilled in Dalmatia from 

 Calamintha Nepeta, Savi (C. Nepeta, Clairv. ; C, nepetoides, Jord.), gave con- 

 stants similar to those of a distillate from the same plant described by 

 us on a previous occasion-), The oils were of a yellowish colour, possessed 

 a mint-like aroma, and, for the rest, behaved as follows: 



I. d 15o 0,9305, « D + 2°50', n D20 o 1,48441, acid v. 0,9, ester v. 5,4. 



II. d 150 0,9395, « D + 6°28', n D20 o 1 ,48920, acid v. 0,9, ester v. 14,6. 

 From 2 to 2 1 / 2 vols. 70% alcohol were required to effect a solution. 



The pulegone-content of sample No. 1 was determined with neutral sodium 

 sulphite and found to be about 45°/ . 



Camphor Oil. Very little that is new has happened in the camphor 

 oil market during the last few months. As before, the United States have 

 continued to be the principal buyers, and have occasionally been willing 

 to pay prices for which there was really no justification in view of the 

 marked quietness of the camphor market and the falling tendency of tur- 

 pentine oil. For the moment scarcely any camphor oil is offering, but in 

 spite of this fact prices have not become materially firmer. Both in Europe 

 and in the U. S. large supplies of crude oil are available, and the existence 

 of these affords some security that for some time to come no surprises 

 are to be feared. Moreover, as stated above, there has been a not incon- 

 siderable reduction in the prices of turpentine oil. Hence it is hardly 



x ) See p. 63, footnote 2. 

 2 ) Report October 1906, 14. 



