— 37 — 



From 1 152 kilos of Galician fennel oil distilled by ourselves, two 

 fractions of the first runnings were obtained, each 12 kilos, which 

 possessed the following properties: 



Fraction I: reddish - yellow oil with a disagreeable basic odour, 

 which on prolonged standing acquires an intense dark-red to black 

 colour, and which has the following constants: — d^o 0,8604; «d 

 -f-4 2 ° 2 3 / ; n Di9° i,4 793; boiling point 158 to 181 (759 mm. pres- 

 sure). The bulk boils between 159 and 161 . 



This fraction contains traces of basic constituents. When ex- 

 tracting the oil with dilute sulphuric acid and subsequently treating 

 the aqueous acid solution with an excess of soda, there was obtained 

 in extremely small quantity a base in the form of a faintly yellow 

 coloured oil, which had a very unpleasant pyridine-like odour which 

 gave rise to severe headache. It showed a feeble pyrrol-reaction 

 and its hydrochloric solution gave with platinum chloride a platinum 

 double salt which dissolved with difficulty in water, but the quantity 

 of which was not sufficient for more detailed examination. This 

 fraction of the first runnings of fennel oil further contained small 

 quantities of aldehydes, for it imparted an intensely red colour to 

 fuchsin sulphurous acid. But no unsoluble bisulphite compounds 

 could be obtained by extraction with bisulphite liquor, and the oil 

 only acquired a faint cherry-red colour after prolonged contact with 

 the bisulphite liquor. 



Fraction II of the first runnings of the fennel oil was a water 

 white almost colourless liquid, which had neither a basic odour, nor 

 gave an aldehyde reaction. In addition to a pronounced fenchone 

 odour, it possessed an intensely bitter taste, and gave a strong phel- 

 landrene reaction. The constants of this fraction were: diso 0,8879, 

 up -{-42 io', n Di8,6° 1,47078, boiling point 172 to 193 (761 mm. 

 pressure). The bulk passed over between 180 and 185 . 



The two fractions of the first runnings were submitted to systematic, 

 frequently repeated fractional distillation, in order to separate them 

 further. 



Pin en e and camphene. For the detection of these terpenes 

 served a fraction with the following properties: — colourless oil of 

 the boiling point 155,5 to I 57,5° (7^o mm. pressure [distilled over 

 sodium]); d i5 o 0,8610; « D -j-43°23 / ; n D 2 4,2° i,453 Sl - B y tne action 

 of amyl nitrite and hydrochloric acid on the glacial acetic acid solution 

 of this oil, pinene nitrosochloride of the melting point 102 was ob- 

 tained, though only in a very small yield. The corresponding pinene 

 nitrolbenzylamine base produced from it crystallised from alcohol in 

 colourless needles of the melting point 122 . 1 ) 



1 ) Comp. Report April 1890, 20. 



