— 53 — 



alcohol 17,3 p. c. From 26 to 27 p. c. reacted with sodium bisulphite. 

 The principal constituent of the oil is an aromatic ketone resembling 

 pulegone in its odour and its other properties; it contains further a strongly 

 dextrorotatory terpene and other high boiling compounds. 



Cypress Oil. While enlarging our factory at Barreme, in the Department 

 of the Basses-Alpes (a matter to which reference is also made elsewhere), 

 we made arrangements which enable us to distil cypress oil in considerably 

 larger quantities than we have been able to do in the past. We are there- 

 fore now in a position at any time to supply whatever demand may arise 

 for this well-established whooping-cough remedy, the popularity of which 

 has considerably increased in recent years. The price of our quality has 

 remained at its old level, although there has been no lack of cheap offers, 

 which, however, mostly applied to oils with properties calculated to pre- 

 judice very greatly the excellent reputation of the article as a' whooping- 

 cough remedy. We can only repeat our warning against the use of such 

 cheap oils. 



In an article on the cypress species which occur in France in a semi- 

 wild state, E. G. and A. Camus 1 ) describe the two kinds which are chiefly 

 cultivated in Southern France, namely: Cupressus sempervirens, L. (C. fasti- 

 giata, D. C.) and C. lusitanica, Mill. (C. glauca, Lamk.; C. pendula, PHerit. ; 

 C. TJhdeana, Gord.; C. sinensis, Hort.). Cupressus sempervirens is a native 

 of the East, and is cultivated in the Mediterranean countries, as well as 

 in Southern Europe, Greece, the Mediterranean Islands, Asia Minor, and 

 Chile. With regard to the original habitat of Cupressus lusitanica nothing 

 definite is known. It is grown in gardens in Portugal, Spain, and Italy 

 and is said to have bee^n brought to France in the year 1683. Particulars 

 relating to the oils of the cypress are given on p. 25 of the same publication. 

 Cupressus lusitanica would appear to contain the greater percentage of oil, 

 400 kilos branches of this species having yielded 1 kilo (=0,25 p. c.) of oil; 

 while 491 kilos branches of C. sempervirens was needed to produce the 

 same quantity of oil. 



The characters of the two oils are shown below: — 



C. sempervirens C. lusitanica 



d 15 o 0,8744 0,8723 



« D +12°6' +9°10' 



Solubility in 90 p. c. alcohol 3,5 vols. $ m. 3 vols. § m. 



Acid v 0,7 1,05 



Sap. v 4,9 9,8 



Sap. v. after acet 14,7 26,6. 



An attempt to distil oil from the seed of Cupressus sempervirens was 

 unsuccessful. On the other hand the cones, freed from seed, yielded 



x ) Berichte von Boure-Bertrand Fils, April 1912, 8. 



