— 9 — 



data will already be found distanced by the events whilst these pages 

 were in the press. 



Professor Dr. R. Kobert, Director of the Institute of Pharmacology 

 and Physiological Chemistry at the University of Rostock, has again 

 been kind enough to allow us to publish a work composed in his 

 laboratory by Mr. Karl Kobert, "Systematic experiments on the anti- 

 septic action of essential oils and their constituents", for which we 

 desire to express in this place once more our sincere thanks. 



Commercial notes and scientific information 

 on essential oils. 



Almond Oil, from apricot-kernels. Owing to the high prices 

 of bitter almonds, the interest of speculators has in the course of the 

 summer turned towards the Syrian apricot-kernels, and in view of the 

 reports of a failure of the harvest in California, they succeeded in 

 driving up last year's prices of about 60 marks, until they reached 

 80 marks per 100 kilos. The upward movement was promoted this 

 time more particularly from Hamburg, and the fact that only small 

 parcels of last year's harvest were available for the consumption was 

 duly taken advantage of. Unfortunately, it would appear that cool 

 heads regulating their operations in accordance with the reports on the 

 new harvest, were absent, for it is obvious that otherwise the first 

 supplies of new kernels would not have been taken up with such 

 avidity. All information from the producing districts in Syria points 

 to the fact that the result of this year's harvest may be called excep- 

 tionally abundant, and it may therefore be assumed as probable that 

 the quotations will return again to a normal level, as soon as the first 

 voracious appetite of the purchasers has been satisfied. It is only 

 natural that the Syrian peasants are well pleased with the high prices, 

 and that only by patiently holding out it will be possible to bring 

 them to reason. In consequence of the numerous sensational reports 

 spread from Hamburg, the demand for oil pressed from apricot -kernels 

 was very brisk, and the prices advanced in proportion, but it is hoped 

 that the latter may soon go back again. 



Essential oil of bitter almonds could scarcely be procured in 

 sufficient quantities also in the course of the past half-year, and it is 

 therefore not surprising that our laboratory -journals show numerous 

 cases of coarse adulterations. 



Almond Oil, pressed from sweet almonds. The sweet 

 almonds originating from Puglia and Sicily have during this summer 



