— 7o — 



We would not miss this opportunity to call attention to the liquid 

 orris oil first introduced into commerce by our firm. This oil meets 

 with a constantly growing demand, and is preferred wherever the 

 myristic acid present in ordinary orris oil has a troublesome effect. 

 This is specially the case in extracts, where possible precipitates on 

 arrival of colder weather may be extremely disagreeable. Our liquid 

 orris oil is exactly ten times as rich as the ordinary oil. It is a 

 product of the very first rank. 



Patchouli Oil. The favourable prices paid for the crude material 

 have led to an increased cultivation in Indo- China. In consequence 

 of an arrangement made with a firm at Singapore, we receive regular 

 shipments, and are now able to promptly deliver any quantity of oil. 

 Our correspondents recently informed us that the German steamship - 

 lines are now making great difficulties with the forwarding of patchouli 

 herb, as it is said to have injured other goods by its odour. 



We should think that a place could easily be found on board of 

 a steamer, where the herb could be stowed without coming more 

 closely in contact with sensitive goods, among which tea would doubt- 

 less rank first. 



Simmons 1 ) calls attentions to new adulterants of patchouli oil, 

 and emphasises the necessity of determining the ester number, in 

 addition to the usual determination of the physical constants. He 

 has had before him some oils in which the common adulterants cedar- 

 wood oil and cubeb oil had been replaced by esters or ester-containing 

 oils. The adulterated oils differed from normal distillates by a lower rota- 

 tory power and higher saponification numbers (saponification number 58 

 and 18,5), which had been produced by an ester of benzoic, or of 

 fatty acid. An attempt made to identify the alcoholic constituent of 

 the esters did not lead to any definite result, although the camphor- 

 like odour pointed to borneol. 



In our laboratory similar adulterations of patchouli oil have not 

 yet been observed, although we have already for many years paid 

 attention to such a possible contingency. In our distillates we found 

 the saponification number as 8 to 12,3. 



Peppermint Oil, American. In view of the importance of 

 this article, our New York house has endeavoured to make a thorough 

 enquiry respecting this year's harvest, by sending an expert to the 

 respective districts, and has supplied us a detailed report on the 

 results. The principal producing districts are: 



*) Chemist and Druggist 64 (1904), 815. 



