— 5 o — 



irritation. The case mentioned above might possibly also be attrib- 

 uted to the injurious effect of carvacrol. According to another 

 communication 1 ) no such case has been observed during 20 years' 

 administration of the oil in undiluted condition. 



Orris Oil. In continuation of their information on the orris-root 

 market in our April Report, our correspondents describe the present 

 situation as follows: — 



What strikes us in the first place in reviewing the past 12 months is the 

 enormous improvement in the prices which has occurred in this period, for 

 whilst in August 1905 assorted roots were quoted 36/37 marks cif. Hamburg, 

 the price in July 1906 was 65 and in some cases even 70 marks. Who would 

 have thought a year ago that such a revolution could take place in so short a 

 time ! At that time a Florentine speculator sold important quantities uncovered 

 for delivery over 1906, and there can be no doubt that this must have been 

 a very costly experience to him. 



This considerable advance may probably be explained chiefly by the almost 

 uninterrupted demand, and in the respectable export-figures, which have risen 

 from only 500 tons in the period from 1st September 1904 to 31 st August 1905, 

 to 920 tons in the succeeding twelve months. It appears to be a fact that the 

 old stocks had been completely used up, especially in France, as the demand 

 from that country was particularly brisk. 



At the end of February the available quantity was . . about 660 tons 

 If we deduct from this the shipments from the beginning of 



March to the end of August ,, 370 ,, 



There remain in stock on 1st September 1906 ..... about 290 tons 



We repeat here the exports of the last four seasons: — 



September 190 2/ August 1903 about 840 tons 



September 1903/ August 1904 ,, 820 „ 



September 1904/August 1905 „ 500 „ 



September 1905 August 1906 „ 920 ,, 



and the avaible total quantities: — 



September 1902/ August 1903 „ 1400 ,, 



September 1903/August 1904 ,, 1310 „ 



September 1904/August 1905 „ 11 60 „ 



September 1905/August 1906 ,,1210,, 



September 1906/August 1907 „ ?? 



If the present good selling prices continue, everything will doubtless be 

 gathered which is ripe for the harvest; a total quantity which, owing to 

 the continued restriction in the quantities planted out, may possibly not ex- 

 ceed 500, or at most 600 tons. But apart from this, the producers now fall 

 back everywhere upon the old roots which had apparently been forgotten, and 

 which had not been gathered when they were ripe, as the low market quot- 

 ations at the time did not pay for the gathering expenses. 



These roots, which are 4, 5, and even 6 years. old, cause a good deal of 

 waste when being trimmed, as they cannot be peeled like 2 or 3 year old 

 roots which are still juicy, but on the contrary the rind has to be cut off 

 with the knife, what naturally causes much loss. Only the tempting selling 

 prices could effect the miracle that these old roots, which for the rest can 

 only be sold as seconds, have been fetched out at all. According to our 



*) Pharm. Ztg. 51 (1906), 566. 



