— 60 — 



arrivals are quite insufficient for the requirements, and it is said that 

 numerous former producers have abandoned the cultivation of cubebs 

 because it has not paid them in past years when the prices were low. 

 It might be thought that in the meantime they would have learnt to know 

 better, for the values which have now ruled for cubebs for many years 

 should surely, we think, induce planters to take up the cultivation with 

 renewed energy. 



Cypress Oil. Since we have taken up in our factory at Barreme 

 the preparation of cypress oil by the method in vogue at our Miltitz 

 works, we have always at our disposal freshly-distilled oil such as we 

 consider necessary for the successful treatment of whooping-cough. Within 

 the past ten years cypress oil has become an indispensable article in the 

 therapy of this disease, its application being as simple as its effect is 

 rapid and completely effective. It is to be hoped that many specialists 

 in this branch of medicine will convince themselves by practical experience 

 of the virtues of this remedy, and we shall always be pleased to supply 

 literature on the subject. 



Dutch Myrtle Oil. This oil, from Myrica Gale, L. (N. O. Myricaceas), 

 of the constituents of which practically nothing has been known so far, 

 has been subjected to closer investigation by S. S. Pickles 1 ). A pale 

 yellow oil distilled from a mixture of green leaves and branches (yield 

 0,076 °/o), gave the following constants: di 5 o 0,915, « D — 5°17 r , acid v. 7,0, 

 sap. v. 31,7, ester v. 24,7. A distillate obtained from half-dried material, 

 almost entirely consisting of leaves (yield 0,203%) possessed the following 

 properties: di 5 o 0,912, « D — ll°26 r , acid v. 4,0, sap. v. 23,2, ester v. 19,2, 

 ester v. after acet. 56,4. 



The leaf-oil contained about 0,75% of a paraffin C 2 9H 60 , m. p. 63 to 64°, 

 which separated out in the cold when methyl alcohol was added. By 

 treating the oil with soda solution, Pickles isolated from it about 2,5 °/o 

 fatty acids, principally palmitic acid (m. p. 62°). Further constituents are 

 cineole (m. p. of the iodol-compound 112 to 114°) and dipentene (m. p. of 

 the tetrabromide 124 to 125°). The oil contains about 50°/o cineole and 

 terpenes. In addition to the esters of high-molecular fatty acids the oil 

 probably contains a mixture of high-boiling alcohols and sesquiterpenes 

 which, however, has not been more closely examined by Pickles for lack 

 of sufficient material. 



Some time ago Laloue 2 ) published detailed particulars concerning the 

 properties of Dutch myrtle (bog myrtle) oil. Chevalier 2 ) has tested tKL 

 pharmacological action of the oil. 



Elecampane Oil. So far but little is known of the properties of oil 

 of elecampane, and it may therefore be of interest here to record the 



*) Journ. chem. Soc. 99 (1911), 1764. 

 ») Comp. Report October 1910, 42. 



