— 105 — 



Cardamom Root Oil. From cardamom-roots from Indo-China we have 

 obtained a yield of 0,64% of a lemon-yellow oil possessing a peculiar, 

 aromatic odour, which bears no resemblance to that of the oil from seed. 

 So far our attempts to ascertain the parent-plant of the oil have been un- 

 successful. The oil gave the following constants: di 5 o 0,9066, « D — 32°57', 

 n D20O 1,48151, acid v. 3,7, ester v. 87,9, ester v. after acetylation 96,7. 

 The oil was soluble in 0,5 vols. 95% alcohol; when more alcohol was 

 added the mixture rapidly turned turbid, and did not become clear again 

 until the solvent had been increased to 4 vols. Fractional distillation 

 under diminished pressure (5 mm.) gave the following result: 



1. 



to 35° 



5,4% 



a D - 



- 0°10 f 



2. 



35 „ 40° 



8,7% 



a D- 



- 0°32' 



3. 



40 „ 100° 



5,4% 



«D- 



-17° 5' 



4. 



100 „ 110° 



10,6% 



a D - 



-31°10' 



5. 



110 „ 115° 



44,2% 



*D- 



-45° 



6. 



115 „ 145° 



6,4% 



a D - 



-33° 14' 



7. 



residue 



19,3% 



a D~ 



-39° 15' 



Fractions 1 and 2 contained cineol, which was identified from the 

 double-compound it gave with resorcinol. From fractions 4 and 5, a por- 

 tion boiling between 117 and 120° (5 mm.) was separated by repeated 

 fractionation. Saturated with hydrochloric acid gas in dry ethereal solu- 

 tion at — 18°, this fraction yielded a hydrogen chloride compound which, 

 when recrystallised from methyl alcohol had m. p. 79 to 80°. The hydro- 

 chloride was inactive; the chlorine-determination gave the following result: 



0,4306 subst: 0,5928 g. AgCl 

 Found Calc. for Ci 5 H 2 4, 3HC1. 



CI 34,06% 33,9 % 



Our surmise that we had here before us the hydrochloride of bisa- 

 bolene was confirmed by further examination. With sodium acetate and 

 glacial acetic acid a sesquiterpene was eliminated from it which, when 

 twice fractionated, was found to possess the following constants: 265 to 

 267° (757 mm.), d 15 o 0,8748, « D + 0°, n D20O 1,49063. With hydrochloric acid 

 this hydrocarbon yielded again the trihydrochloride melting between 79 

 and 80°. 



The residue of distillation of cardamom-root oil solidified at about 15° 

 with separation of paraffin ; the last-named body, when recrystallised from 

 alcohol, melted at 62 to 63°. 



This examination shows the presence in cardamom-root oil of cineol, 

 bisabolene and a paraffin; bisabolene being the principal constituent. 



Cedarwood Oil, East African. The wood of the red cedar \juni- 

 perus cirginiana, L.) which comes from Florida and is used in the manu- 

 facture of lead-pencils, is becoming more and more scarce, but up to the 



