— 4i — 



quantities, and the extremely low price led to very important trans- 

 actions. Larger orders at limited prices failed through opposition of 

 the producers, to whom the low value is no longer remunerative. 

 For this reason a decided advance had to be paid later on, and at 

 the present moment advantageous purchases are quite impossible. The 

 average price of our purchases forced us to raise our quotations. 



An idea of the importance of this article may be gathered from 

 the fact that the Export of geranium oil from Bombay, from I st July 1904 

 to 30 th June 1905, amounted to 162990 lbs. of a value in round figures 

 of SS 30000. 



Of this quantity, quite one half consists of inferior qualities. 



Exceptionally rare is this season the so-called gingergrass oil, 

 and it remains questionable whether this oil can be offered in suffic- 

 ient quantities. 



A geranium oil produced in Sicily has been examined by Umney 

 and Bennett 1 ). This product, which had a quite exceptionally pleasant 

 odour, was obtained in a yield of 0,07 °/ from plants grown on a dry 

 soil. The optical rotation of the 80 °/o nrst distilling over was n°: 

 di5° 0,894; ester-content (geranyl tiglinate) 35,6 °/ ; total geraniol 

 7i,9°/ ; soluble in 2 vol. 80 per cent, alcohol; insoluble in 70 per cent, 

 alcohol. The ester -content is therefore higher than in French or 

 Algerian oils, but approaches very closely to the highest observed in 

 Reunion geranium oil. In view of the small yield in which it was 

 obtained in the distillation, it is doubtful whether the Sicilian oil will 

 ever appear as a serious competitor against the oils met with in 

 commerce. 



Hyssop Oil. Owing to lack of distillation -material, we have 

 temporarily been compelled to introduce the French distillate, which 

 is inferior to the oil distilled from leaves and blossoms of the home- 

 grown herb. But for the coming summer we have made the necessary 

 arrangements to grow the material ourselves in sufficient quantities, 

 so that we hope in the autumn to be able to offer again our own 

 distillate. 



Oil of Juniper berries. The high prices of the berries have 

 now also affected the value of the common Hungarian distillate, of 

 which only the absolutely necessary quantities can be obtained with 

 great difficulty. This situation will continue until the coming winter, 



Lavender Oil. Contrary to expectation, the distillers and prin- 

 cipal merchants have succeeded in keeping up the high prices, and 

 there does not appear to be a decided change in sight before the 



*) Pharm. Journ. 75 (1905), 860; Chemist and Druggist 67 (1905), 970. 



