62 Report of Schimmel $ Co. April 1913. 



Eucalyptus Oil. The market- position of Globulus oil, an article which is used 

 everywhere in large quantities, has been steadily firm, and as parcels of importance 

 were only rarely offered from Australia at acceptable prices, buyers were compelled 

 to content themselves with the stocks held in Europe. These were very considerable, 

 although they are now beginning to dwindle, and it appears to be quite possible that 

 sooner or later a serious scarcity may make itself felt. As we have already mentioned 

 on a previous occasion, considerable quantities of eucalyptus oil are now used in 

 Australia in the treatment of mineral ores, and this may perhaps be the principal 

 reason why the producers show so much reserve in offering oil for export. A serious 

 advance in the prices of eucalyptus oil is in our opinion only a question of time, 

 and we strongly advise our friends to cover their requirements before we, too, are 

 compelled to raise our quotations. 



Common Australian eucalyptus oil has not been so much in request, but this 

 description is also firm and the imports of it are not in proportion to the sales. 



The excellent oil of Eucalyptus metadata var. citriodora still continues to be favoured 

 by many buyers, although its cost is an obstacle to its use on a large scale. We 

 take this opportunity of once more calling attention to this speciality. 



C. T. Bennett 1 ) again attacks the method of estimating cineol by means of resorcinol, 

 which has been recommended by us 2 ). He has carried out comparative tests, both 

 by the phosphoric acid and by the resorcinol methods, and has found that the 

 results obtained showed considerable differences, from which he draws the daring 

 conclusion that the resorcinol method, even in its modified form, ist not accurate. 

 At the same time he fails to prove the absolute reliability of the phorphoric acid 

 process. Some considerable time ago, as the outcome of similar investigations, Sage 3 ) 

 formed the same judgment as Bennett has now formed. But even at the time (Report 

 October 1910, 67) we pointed out that in our opinion the difference in the results was 

 precisely a proof of the inaccuracy of the phosphoric acid method, as we had shewn, 

 by numerous examples of mixtures with a known cineol-content, that accurate values 

 are obtained with resorcinol provided the test be carried out in the manner described 

 in our Report of April 1908, p. 50. We have seen no reason, since then, to modify 

 our opinion. 



In the meantime, F. D. Dodge 4 ) has published another method for the determination 

 of cineol. This is based opon the familiar fact that, in the cold, cineol remains 

 practically unattacked by potassium permanganate, whereas the remaining constituents 

 of the oils in question (eucalyptus oil and cajuput oil) are oxidised into soluble com- 

 pounds. The process is carried out as follows: 10 cc. of the oil under examination 

 are placed in a narrow-necked flask, cooled with ice-water, and shaken with a gradually 

 added 5 to 6 p. c. solution of potassium permanganate, until the latter is present in 

 excess. The mixture is then left standing in ice-water for from 12 to 18 hours with 

 occasional shaking, after which the manganese peroxide which has separated out is 

 brought to solution by means of a careful addition of sulphurous acid (or sodium 

 bisulphite + hydrochloric acid). The unattacked oil (eucalyptol) is brought into the 

 neck of the flask, pipetted into a graduated tube, washed with a little alkali, and 

 estimated volumetrically. Its sp. gr. should be 0,929 to 0,930 (15°); it should be inactive, 

 and dissolve in 3,5 vols. 60 p. c. alcohol at 25°. 



>) Perfum. and Essent. Oil Record 3 (1912), 269. — 2 ) Report October 1907, 45; April 1908, 50. — 

 :f ) Ibidem 1 (1910), 194. — *) Journ. Ind. Eng. Chem. 4 (1912), 529; Journ. Soc. chem. ind. 31 (1912), 840; 

 Chem. Zentralbl. 1913, I. 335. 



