— 9 i — 



supplies, unfortunately, are too unimportant to have any effect whatever 

 on the market. 



Sumbul Oil. A rather viscid sumbul oil distilled by ourselves, 

 which had been produced in a yield of 1,37% ^ rom fresh slightly 

 dried roots, possessed an olive green colour, and an odour reminding 

 of angelica oil. Its constants were as follows: di 5 o 0,9410; « r> ~[-6 20 / ; 

 acid no. 7,0; ester no. 24,4; not completely soluble in 10 vol. 80 percent, 

 alcohol; soluble in every proportion in 90 per cent, alcohol. 



Oil of Thuja plicata. W. C. Blasdale 1 ) has obtained by 

 distillation with steam from the air -dried leaves of Thuja plicata, 

 a tree indigenous to the Pacific Coast of North America, which is 

 universally known also under the name Red cedar or Canoe cedar, 

 an essential oil with a terpene-like odour, of which he has determined 

 the following constants: d 15 o 0,8997; a D -{- i°45'; n D M575; b - P- x 5° 

 to 2 2 5 . Apart from thujone, which was isolated and identified in 

 the usual manner from a fraction of the b. p. 198 to 200 (d^o 0,9142, 

 «d — o°52 / , Op 1,4532), no constituents could be further identified 

 in the other portions of the oil. On distilling with steam the 

 wood cut up into chips, Blasdale obtained, by extracting the distillate 

 with ether, white crystals melting at 8o°, which had the characteristic 

 pungent odour of the wood, and to which the molecular formula 

 C 10 H 12 O 2 may possibly belong. The wood of Thuja plicata, a tree 

 forming dense forests in Eastern Washington and Oregon, and resembling 

 the white or swamp cedar of the Eastern districts, is worked up in 

 enormous quantities into roof shingles. 



Thyme Oil. J. Rodie 2 ) has made experiments with Spanish thyme 

 oils, in order to ascertain in how far from the specific gravity and 

 solubility of these oils conclusions can be drawn as to their phenol- 

 content. He has thereby arrived at the result that the phenol-content can 

 only be judged approximately on the strength of the aforesaid physical 

 properties, but that in a general way the following conditions apply: 

 Of oils which possess a specific gravity above 0,950, and are soluble 

 in 65 per cent, alcohol, it may be accepted that they contain more 

 than 6o°/ phenols. 40 to 6o°/ may be contained in oils of a specific 

 gravity of 0,922 to 0,950, if they are soluble in 7o°/ , or better still 

 in 65% alcohol. Oils with a specific gravity below 0,922, especially 

 if they are insoluble in 70 per cent, alcohol, must be regarded as 

 inferior owing to too small a content of phenols. 



This method is only intended as an indication in cases where no 

 phenol- determination can be carried out owing to want of time or 

 material. 



A ) Journ. Amer. chem. Soc. 29 (1907), 539. 

 2 ) Bull. Soc. Chim. IV. 1 (1907), 236. 



