— 68 



wonder that in consequence of this the price fell rapidly down to 

 3d. per oz. and that, in spite of an unsuccessful attempt early in the 

 year to bring some firmness in the market by withholding offers to a 

 certain extent, there is at present no prospect of an improvement in 

 the prices. At 3d. important sales have been made everywhere, but 

 the tendency in purchasing has in recent times already become slightly 

 more reserved, so that we consider a further drop in the prices by 

 no means impossible. 



The shipments from July I st to December 31 st 1906 were: — 



To 



London . 



1 So 1 f 9 



cases 



J) 



Havre 



1092% 



>> 



JJ 



Marseilles 



1245V2 



>> 



>1 



Antwerp . 



25 



)> 



>> 



Hamburg 



638 V2 



i> 



» 



New York . 



301 



)) 



)J 



Asiatic ports 



150 



>> 



Total 3603 Y 3 cases 



In the same period of the year 1905, only iz6y 5 / 6 cases were 

 exported, and in 1904 only 1349 1 j± cases. These figures are so 

 striking that no further arguments in support of our opinion are required. 



Adulterations of lemon grass oil with citronella oil, which had 

 already been observed by Parry 1 ), appear to occur lately more frequently; 

 we have at least had before us, within very recent times, three lemon 

 grass oils which had all been clearly adulterated with citronella oil. 



These oils had the following properties: — 

 1. di 5 o 0,9029; «d — 5° 38'; aldehyde-content 



soluble in 2 to 2,4 vol. 

 70 per cent, alcohol ; when 

 more alcohol was added, 

 opalescence to cloudiness. 



about 33% 



2. diso 0,8993; «d — 5 40'; aldehyde-content 



about 34% 



3. diso 0,8995; ct D — 5 46'; aldehyde-content 



about 2O°/ 



Unfortunately, the samples were not sufficient for a more detailed 

 examination, but the odour of the non-aldehydic portions of the oil 

 had a pronounced citronella character, so that it might be concluded 

 with a fair amount of certainty that adulteration with citronella oil 

 had taken place. 



Umney and Bennett 2 ) report on the examination of a West 

 Indian lemon grass oil. This oil had a specific gravity of 0,879, 



*) Report April 1905, 55. 



2 ) Chemist and Druggist 70 (1907), 138. 



