f — 69 — 



of origin. The oil was of an extremely faint pale-yellow colour, and in 

 its odour reminded not so much of juniper berry oil as of pumilio oil. 

 It possessed the following constants: d 150 0,8688, a D +3°41\ n D20 o 1,47210, 

 acid v. 0,6, ester v. 10,2, sol. in 8 vols. 8j m. 90 p. c. alcohol, with slight 

 cloudiness. 



From the dextrorotation of the oil it may perhaps be concluded that, in 

 addition to juniper berries, juniper needles have also been worked up in 

 the distilling, because, for example, Russian juniper oils from similar raw 

 material, which were sent to us several years ago, were also dextro- 

 rotatory 1 ). This may also perhaps explain the peculiar odour of the Cyprian 

 distillate, which must militate against its employment as juniper berry oil. 



Ladanum Oil. From a paper by E. J. Emmanuel 2 ) on Cretan Ladanum 

 oil (from Cistus creticus, L.) we take the following particulars relating to 

 the essential oil which was separated from the product. For the purpose 

 of preparing the oil the ladanum resin was first extracted with ether; the 

 ethereal extract was freed from acid by repeated shaking with soda 

 solution, and finally washed with distilled water. The ether was then 

 distilled off and the residue, after the addition of a 3 p. c. sodium hydroxide 

 solution, was treated with steam. This process yielded a pale-brown oil 

 with a pleasant odour of ladanum-camphor. The oil-yield equalled 2 p. c. 

 of the ladanum used. The oil boiled at 225° and had sp. gr. 0,928, 



^013,50 1,5118. 



Upon continuing the steam distillation some colourless crystals passed 

 over. They possessed a faint aromatic odour and had m. p. 89°; they were 

 insoluble in water, soluble in methyl and ethyl alcohol, readily soluble in 

 ether, chloroform, and acetone. From the determination of the molecular 

 weight and the result of combustion, Emmanuel concludes the formula to 

 be Ci 7 H 30 O. He gives to this compound the name of Ladaniol, but leaves 

 it in doubt whether it really represents a new body or whether the substance 

 is identical with the "Champacol" which was described by Merck years 

 ago (1893). 



In connection with this matter Emmanuel also refers to guajol, which 

 was first isolated by us 3 ) from guaiacum wood. He appears to be of 

 opinion that Merck's Champacol and our guajol represent different bodies, 

 although their identity has been pointed out both by ourselves 4 ) and by 

 Wallach 5 ). Moreover, Wallach has shown that the formula Ci 7 H 30 O, 

 assigned to Champacol by Merck is incorrect, the true formula being 

 Ci 5 H 26 0. As, at the time, the firm of Merck was not dealing with champaca 

 oil (as they believed to be the case), but with guaiacum wood oil 4 ), the 



*) Comp. Report April 1907, 60. 



*) Arch, der Pharm. 250 (1912), 111. 



8 ) Report April 1892, 56. 



*) Report April 1893, 42. 



*) Liebigs Annalen 279 (1894), 395. 



