— Ill — 



Honduras Balsam. We were able to place a small quantity 

 of this balsam (of whose origin and production nothing could be 

 ascertained) at the disposal of M. Burchhardt 1 ), who in his examin- 

 ations arrived at the following results: The balsam was a yellow, 

 turbid, syrupy liquid with a pronounced storax odour; d^o 1,082. The 

 following constituents have been isolated and identified: 1. Free 

 cinnamic acid, m. p. 133 . 2. The cinnamic acid ester of 

 honduroresinol, m. p. 160 to 165 . In its percentage composition 

 this body corresponds with Ltidy's benzoresinol 2 ), with van Itallie's 

 storesinol 3 ), and with Hell Strom's styresinol 4 ), although the melting 

 points indicated by the various authors show partly considerable differ- 

 ences. 3. The cinnamic acid esters of cinnamic alcohol, of 

 phenyl propyl alcohol, and other (not identified) aromatic alcohols. 

 4. Honduroresene, m. p. indistinctly at 200 to 210 . 5. A body 

 insoluble in alcohol. 



From his examinations Burchhardt draws the conclusion that 

 Honduras balsam has practically nothing in common with Peru balsam 

 or white Peru balsam. 



Menthol. The speculators have not succeeded in maintaining 

 the prices at the level of 10/-, which was reached in September for 

 goods for shipment, and since that time the market has, with slight 

 interruptions and feeble reactions, declined to about 8/2. There is 

 very little demand, and the European stocks appear to be very con- 

 siderable. According to the Financial and Economic Year Book of 

 Japan, the total value of the menthol exports in 1899 to 1905 was 

 as follows: — 



1 



1899 



1900 



1 90 1 



1902 



1903 



1904 



1905 



British India . . . ! 



France 



Germany 



The United 



Kingdom .... 

 Hong Kong .... 

 The United States , 

 Other countries . . j 



16096 

 19522 

 43926 



29607 



427^9 



43 442 



73 



20875 



495° 



4 6 39i 



62995 



13964 



23000 



326 



18807 



25 212 



100040 



9706 

 163884 

 in 130 



8273 



1 1 698 

 22565 

 71045 



90833 

 127369 

 126525 



13684 



23020 



43317 

 193729 



i55 4o6 



219 189 



162754 



6987 



63 955 

 141075 

 159496 



229685 



156775 

 326784 



12973 



42470 

 128991 

 110649 



301569 



59193 



149565 



5188 



Total | 



195424 



172501 



437 051 



4 6 3 7i9 



804401 



1090742 



797624 



With regard to the quantities shipped in 1906, we would refer 

 to p. 82 of the present Report. 



1 ) Thesis, Berne 1906, 30; Arch, der Pharm. 243 (1905), 218. 



2 ) Arch, der Pharm. 231 (1893), 64. 



3 ) Ibidem 239 (1901), 506. 



4 ) Ibidem 243 (1905), 218. 



