— 94 — 



real centre of the trade, the Chinese ounce fetches 10 taels (i tael 

 = about 2/8). At Chengtu the price is already raised to 18 to 

 19 taels, but for pure musk as much as 29 to 30 taels are asked. At 

 Szuchuan the musk is already subject to frequent adulterations. In 

 order to detect these, certain definite methods are employed there. 

 If the odour is not satisfactory, or if other doubts exist as to the 

 genuine character, a small incision is made in the musk-bag, a sample 

 taken out, and thrown in water. If the sample remains crumbly, the 

 musk is genuine, but if it dissolves, it is adulterated. Or a sample 

 is placed on a glowing piece of charcoal; if it melts and swells up, 

 the musk is good; if it suddenly becomes hard, it must be regarded 

 as adulterated. The annual sale of musk-bags at Tachienlu for Chinese 

 and foreign markets, is estimated at 1 100 to 1200 catties (24533 Chinese 

 ounces, value j£? 48750). 



In spite of the great importance of musk in commerce, very little 

 is known of its chemical composition. Total darkness exists especially 

 with regard to the character of the odoriferous substances which alone 

 determine the value of this product. For this reason we considered 

 it opportune to take in hand the solution of this question which is 

 of so much importance both from a scientific and a technical point 

 of view 1 ). In the first place, we determined, by distilling out 500 gm. 

 musk with water -vapour for many days the content of odoriferous 

 substances volatilisable with water- vapour in the natural product. The 

 distillation- water hereby obtained, on which but a small quantity of 

 oil floated, yielded by means of careful extraction with ether a total 

 of 7 gm. of a dark-brown oil with a very unpleasant odour, equal 

 to 1,4% of crude musk oil. The examination of this oil showed 

 that it consists partly of a ketone, which forms a well- crystallizing 

 semicarbazone. From the latter the ketone could again be separated 

 off, by boiling with dilute sulphuric acid, in the form of an oil with a 

 strong musk-like odour. In order to obtain a better knowledge of the 

 properties of the new ketone, large quantities of musk had to be 

 worked up. But it was found convenient to extract the musk first 

 with ether, and then to distil out, with water -vapour, the extract 

 obtained. It was then found that the ' content of musk oil in various 

 specimens of musk, which to all appearances were of equally good 

 quality, may differ considerably. 



*) German Patent application by Schimmel & Co. No. 23255, IV. CI. 23a, 

 of 2 6th Jan. 1905. A notice on muskone, abstracted by H.Mann from our circular, 

 is published in the Seifensiederzeitung 33 (1906), 54 ; rep. Chem. Zeitg. Repert. 30 

 (1906), 51. Muskone is introduced in commerce as "muskone solution" dissolved 

 in 50 per cent, alcohol, and not (as stated in the report) dissolved in alcohol in the 

 proportion of 5o°/ . .. . . ' 



