— i5 — 



We paid particular attention to the new ketone discovered by 

 Genvresse and Chablay in a fraction boiling at 208 to 209 , which 

 the authors had isolated by means of the bisulphite compound, and 

 to which they had given the name of calaminthone. For this purpose 

 the fractions 3 and 4 were once more distilled at ordinary pressure, 

 and the portions passing over at 208 to 209 collected for a thorough 

 examination. Our researches, however, led to a distinctly different 

 result; although we also succeeded in isolating a ketone with bisulphite, 

 we regenerated from the bisulphite compound obtained only pulegone 

 which we were able to identify by its semicarbazone of the m. p. 172 . 

 But in addition to this there was present in the calaminthone fraction 

 in question, a second ketone which could not be combined either 

 with neutral or with acid sulphite. In order to separate the two bodies 

 the fraction was freed from pulegone by repeated treatment with sodium 

 sulphite, and in the ketone which had not entered into reaction, 

 1-menthone was recognised with certainty. Its semicarbazone, after 

 repeated recrystallisation, melted distinctly at 184 , its oxime at 59 . 



According to these results it is probable that the ketone which 

 Genvresse and Chablay called calaminthone, is not a uniform body, 

 but a mixture of pulegone and menthone. 



Camphor Oil. The scarcity of this oil (which is so important 

 for our industry) has increased in a marked degree since we published 

 our last Report, so that it is necessary to regard its future with serious 

 apprehension. The deliveries of red camphor oil in Formosa are said 

 to have been so unimportant in the last few months, that the demands 

 of the Direction of the Monopoly could hardly be satisfied, — much 

 less even a moderate quantity becomes available for export. For white 

 oil the demand was so brisk from the Japanese industry (which in the 

 course of time has also been able to make use of this article for 

 their purposes), that the export of any quantities worth mentioning was 

 out of the question. Whatever quantity of these two sorts was snipped 

 to Europe and the United States in the course of the last few months, 

 originates therefore from unexpired contracts. 



The value of the camphor oil shipped from Japan in the first six 

 months of this year amounted only to 71 102 yen, in spite of 

 the much higher prices, against 13 1007 y en m tne same period of 

 last year. 



The following summary which has been taken from the Reports 

 of the British Foreign Office (Ann. Series No. 3675) gives further in- 

 formation on the export of camphor to the individual principal consum- 

 ing countries in the last three years. The value of the total ship- 

 ments has fallen off in that time by nearly £ 100 000, in spite of 

 the higher market. 



