- 64 - 



such a comparatively small quantity, that an error in the statistics 

 may be assumed, inasmuch as possibly instead of cases, piculs of 

 2 cases are meant. 



It is a well known fact that star-anise oil is obtained by distillation 

 from the fruit of Illicium verum, a tree which is cultivated specially 

 in the South of China and the North of Tonquin. In the course of 

 researches made by Ph. Eberhardt 1 ) with the view of improving 

 the results of the cultivation, he also occupied himself whith the 

 internal morphology of the tree, and found that the mesophyll cells 

 of the leaves are as rich in oil as the pericarpial cells of the fruit, 

 in which the essential oil was specially deposited. In a trial-distil- 

 lation Eberhardt received from i kilo leaves 200 drops of an oil with 

 a strong odour. It has a somewhat lower solidifying point than that 

 obtained from the fruit, congealing at 13 , against the latter at 16 to 

 1 8°. In order not to interfere with the development of the trees 

 and the blossoms, it is best to collect particularly the old leaves only 

 once every year, in the middle of the dry season, which is the most 

 favourable time for this purpose. The leaves are cut up small and 

 distilled so as to obtain the oil. By making use of this new method 

 jointly with the old one, the annual production can, if not be doubled, 

 at least be increased by two-thirds. 



Turpentine Oil. We are indebted to the kindness of 

 Mr. W. A. Lovegrove, Deputy Conservator of Forests at Naini 

 Tal, British India, for a sample of the Indian turpentine derived from 

 Pinus longifolia Roxb. and of the oil of turpentine obtained from it, 

 to which we have repeatedly referred in our last Reports. The pro- 

 ducts correspond in their properties with those observed by Rabak 2 ). 

 The balsam yielded on steam distillation, 19,3% of a colourless oil, 

 whilst a pale yellow brittle resin remained behind. The latter had 

 the acid number 154,7, and an ester number of 8,8. The distillate 

 behaved as follows: d 15 o 0,8741, a D-f-o°43 / , acid number o, ester 

 number 3,2, soluble in 7 to 8 and more vol. 90 per cent, alcohol. 

 The oil sent to us from India had quite similar properties: d 15 o 0,8734; 

 a D-f-3°i3'; acid- number 1,9; ester number 1,3; soluble in 7,5 and 

 more vol. 90 per cent, alcohol. In the distillation the following frac- 

 tions were obtained: — 



1. 165 to 170 (747 mm.) 33% « D _ 3 3 o / 



2. 170 „ 1 75 „ 31 „ „ -j- o°40 ; 



3. 175 „ 180 „ 14 „ „ -f- 4 32' 



4. above 180 „ 22 „ „ -[-16 22 1 



*) Compt. rend. 142 (1906), 407. 



2 ) Pharm. Review 23 (1905), 229. Report October 1905, 68. 



