— 107 — 



When once more distilled over metallic sodium, the bulk was 

 obtained almost unchanged with the following constants: b. p. 237 to 

 2 38 (750 mm. pressure), d^o 0,9891; « D -[~o°40 / ; miscible in every 

 proportion with 90 per cent, alcohol. 



An attempt to arrive by means of potassium permanganate at an 

 oxidation-product led to an acid, readily soluble in alcohol and ether, 

 but with difficulty in water, which, after repeated recrystallisation from 

 aqueous alcohol, melted at 93 °. But even at the temperature of the 

 water-bath, only about 25% of the oil could be oxidised, whilst 75% 

 remained behind almost unchanged. The results show that the oil 

 consists chiefly of a uniform body. 



Oil of Mentha rotundifolia L. A small sample of oil from 

 Mentha rotundifolia L. which was sent to us from Algeria, had a dark 

 orange - yellow colour and a musty, faint, somewhat pungent odour, 

 which distantly resembled the odour of spearmint oil. The constants 

 were as follows: d 15Q 0,9777; «d — 37°3o'; acid no. 1,5; ester no. 71,2; 

 ester no. after acetylation 209. The oil was miscible in all proportions 

 with 90 per cent, alcohol and dissolved in 1 vol. 80 per cent, alcohol; 

 on dilution strong cloudiness and separation of small oil drops occurred 

 immediately. 



Pharmacopoeias. 



Dutch Pharmacopoeia. 



In continuation of our discussion of the Dutch Pharmacopoeia 1 ) 

 we would still mention that in the meantime a supplement has been 

 issued which corrects various errors, such as for example the statement 

 on the behaviour in boiling of mace oil, which now reads as follows: 

 "At least half the oil shall pass over between 160 and 175 ; of the 

 remainder, one portion distils from 175 to 200 , and another portion 

 only above 235 ". 



British Pharmacopoeia. 



In order to avoid as much as possible omissions and errors in 

 the publication of a new Pharmacopoeia, the British Pharmacopoeia 

 Commission has issued proposals for altering the tests of a large 

 number of official drugs and preparations, which have among others 

 been published in the Pharmaceutical Journal**). This publication has 

 the object of making the improvements intended as widely known as 

 possible, and submitting them to discussion. The points dealing with 

 essential oils are briefly discussed in the following lines, in the same 



1 ) Report October 1906, 84. 



2 ) Pharmaceutical Journal 77 (1906), 632. 



