- 8 4 - 



Parry and Bennett 1 ) report on the examination of two sandal 

 oils which where probably adulterated with West Indian oil. The two 

 samples were above all suspected on account of the low rotation 

 (an — io° and — 9°30 / respectively), and the low santalol content 

 (82,2 and 83 °/ respectively), and on fractional distillation also gave 

 results differing from those of normal oil, inasmuch as the corres- 

 ponding fractions had very considerably lower rotations («d — 4 3c/ 

 to — I4°45', as compared with — 14 to — 2 2° in pure oil). The 

 odour of the first fractions pointed to West Indian sandal oil. As 

 the oils were soluble in 6 vol. 70 per cent, alcohol, Parry and 

 Bennett believe that an oil had been used for the adulteration, from 

 which the less soluble portions had been removed by fractional distillation. 



Parry and Bennett conclude their work by suggestions with 

 regard to the requirements which the next edition of the British 

 Pharmacopoeia should specify for sandal oil. They also recommend 

 inter alia, that the first two tenths of the oil should be distilled off, 

 and the fractions examined for their optical behaviour. According to 

 this, a good sandal oil should answer the following requirements: 

 di5° 0,975 to 0,982; «d — 1 6° to — 20 ; n D20 o not below 1,503; 

 santalyl acetate 4 to 6,5 °/ ; total santalol at least 9O°/ ; soluble in 

 5 vol. 70 per cent, alcohol; «d of the first io°/ and second io°/ 

 of the distillate, not below — 16 . 



Although pure East Indian oils may possibly also occasionally fail 

 to answer these requirements, Parry and Bennett are quite correct in 

 cautioning against a corresponding alteration in the limits of these values. 

 We would add in this connection, that we consider 0,985 as upper 

 limit of the specific gravity as more correct. It is, moreover, important 

 to state the formula according to which the santalol content should 

 be calculated; in view of recent examinations, C 15 H 24 is the only 

 formula which ought to come under consideration. The ester content 

 fluctuates according to our experience between 2 and 6°/ , calculated 

 for CH 3 COOC 15 H 23 . 



For the principal constituents of East Indian sandalwood oil, viz., 

 a- and /^-santalol, Guerbet 2 ) several years ago drew up the gross 

 formula C 15 H 26 0. At that time 3 ) we called already attention to the 

 fact that, according to our own examinations made with santalol 

 which had been regenerated from the phthalic acid compound, the 

 formula C 15 H 26 appeared doubtful, and should be replaced by one 



*) Chemist and Druggist 71 (1907), 19. 



2 ) Compt. rend. 130 (1900), 417 and 1324; Report April 1900, 42 and 

 October 1900, 58. 



3 ) Report April 1900, 43. 



