109 — 



Sandalwood Oil {Oleum santali). A determination of the 

 santalol-content should be included, and this should not be below 94°/ 1 ). 



J ) The requirement of such a high santalol-content is not justified. In the 

 case of good oils, it is not below 9o°/ , calculated for the formula C 15 H 24 0. 



Chemical preparations and drugs. 



Civet. According to reports from the British Vice Consuls at 

 Addis Abeba and Harrar, the export of civet is constantly declining, 

 — it is said, because an artificial civet perfume has been invented in 

 Europe which is prepared from coal tar, and is very cheap. (?) Only 

 France is said to consume still small parcels. The total export in 

 1905 is estimated at 4800 oz., value jg 9600. 



We are not inclined to take quite such a pessimistic view of the 

 situation, for up to the present we have not yet been able to obtain 

 any information on the existence of a really useful artificial civet. Our 

 well-assorted stock enjoyed even a very brisk demand last year, and 

 up to present we have not noticed any falling -off in the demand. 

 Our sales of this important drug in the year 1906 were, on the 

 contrary, larger than ever. 



Balsam ofHardwickiaPinnataRoxb. (Kingiodendron pinnatum 

 [Roxb.] Harms). Some time ago 1 ) we reported on a balsam alleged 

 to have been derived from Hardivickia binata Roxb. Recently 

 G.Wei gel 2 ) and also D. Hooper 3 ) have published further interesting 

 information on this balsam, which we discuss more in detail in the 

 following. 



It should be stated at once that the mother-plant is not Hard- 

 wickia binata Roxb., which, according to Hooper, does not yield any 

 balsam at all, and serves only as an ornamental tree in streets and 

 gardens, but Hardivickia p inn at a Roxb. 4 ) It is a stately tree, closely 

 allied to the Copaifera species, and is found in British India. The 

 balsam contained in it is used both for medicinal and technical pur- 

 poses (for painting the woodwork of houses) and, according to Hooper, 

 is obtained in South Canara as follows: About 3 feet above the ground 

 a deep cavity is cut down to the heart of the trunk, after which the 



r J Report April 1905, 85. 



2 ) Pharm. Cen train. 47 (1906), 773. 



3 ) Pharmaceutical Journal 78 (1907), 4. 



4 ) In Engler's "Pflanzenfamilien" the species Kingiodendron is still separated 

 from the species Hardwickia^ and for the original designation Hardwickio. finnata 

 Roxb., the name Kingiodendroji pinnatum (Roxb.) Harms is introduced. In 

 order to avoid confusion we consider the exclusive use of the last name advisable. 

 Com p. A. Engler, Die naturlichen Pflanzenfamilien, supplement, p. 194. 



