— 112 — 



durman and Aden. The selling-prices at Adis Abeba and at Gore are 

 about equal to V/ 2 dollars per Wagia. There can be no doubt that this 

 does not refer to the quality which is used in Europe for perfumery- 

 purposes, for such prices would of course be out of the question here. 

 The report, in fact, goes on to say that in addition to the above a certain 

 quantity of civet is manufactured which is suitable for perfumery purposes, 

 but that it is extremely difficult, and requires considerable practice, to 

 detect the adulterations. We only reproduce this communication here 

 because reports concerning civet reach us so rarely from the producing 

 districts, and because the Consul's statements indicate that probably by 

 far the larger part of the civet which is produced in Abyssinia is brought 

 into commerce in an adulterated state. As it is very difficult to detect 

 admixtures of butter in civet, it is desirable to purchase the last-named 

 article only from sources of proved trustworthiness, and to look upon the 

 price as a matter of only secondary importance. 



Coumarin. The consumption of this important odoriferous substance 

 is still growing. The price has undergone no change within the past few 

 months, although cutting of the convention rates (which are low enough 

 in all conscience), is still a matter of frequent occurrence. These cheap 

 offers, however, mostly relate to qualities which are too dear even at such 

 apparently advantageous figures. 



Following our previous communications on tonca-beans containing 

 coumarin, we quote from a British Consular Report 1 ) the statement that 

 the parent-plant of this drug (Dipterix odorata-, Willd.; N. O. Leguminosae), 

 grows on the southern banks of the Orinoco in Venezuela. Monkeys eat 

 the fruit, but spit out the seeds. The latter are collected, steeped in spirit, 

 dried, and exported principally to the United States and Germany, where 

 they are used in the tobacco industry. The bulk of the tonca-beans are 

 taken from Ciudad Bolivar to Trinidad, whence they are shipped further. 



On the action of coumarin as a fish-poison see p. 124. 



Geraniol. Notwithstanding the fact that our facilities for producing 

 pure geraniol are unsurpassed in magnitude, we were not always able 

 throughout the past summer to give punctual delivery, so exceptionally 

 brisk was the demand. The principal reason of this is of course the 

 scarcity of all varieties of geranium oil, for since such excessive prices 

 have been asked for, say, African geranium oil, a large number of per- 

 fumers have become regular buyers of geraniol. The upward movement 

 in the rose-oil market has naturally also contributed to stimulate the 

 demand for geraniol, for it is unfortunately impossible to prevent con- 

 siderable parcels of geraniol reaching the sophisticators of rose oil in 

 Bulgaria and elsewhere by roundabout ways. As we are occasionally 



J ) Diplomatic and Consular Reports 1911, No. 4758, p. 9. 



