f — 103 — 



For chemical proof in legal investigations of poisoning by savin oil, 

 ). Hamalainen 1 ) avails himself of the property of sabinol to combine in 

 part, within the human organism, with glucuronic acid, and to appear in 

 the urine in the form of sabinol-glucuronic acid. This acid yields a well- 

 defined strychnine-salt which crystallises with two molecules of water 

 and melts at 196 to 197°; « D20 o — 39,66°. It is sparingly-soluble in cold 

 water, but dissolves fairly readily in hot water. At room-temperature it 

 is sparingly-soluble in alcohol, ether, acetone, acetic ester, benzene, 

 chloroform, and light petroleum. 



Shiu Oil. We have already on several occasions called attention 

 in these Beports 2 ) to the statement that Formosa produces a species 

 of tree allied to the camphor tree, which yields an oil rich in linalool. 

 The oil yielded by the tree has already been thoroughly examined 

 years ago by Keimazu 3 ) under the name of Apopin oil or Shu-yu, 

 while recently K. Nagai has published an illustrated pamphlet on the 

 subject in the Japanese language, in which the oil is referred to as 

 Shiu Oil. Samples of the oil, or of fractions of the oil, have also made 

 their appearance from time to time, but there has been no news of any 

 subsequent deliveries of the article. A similar sample is now again 

 described in a British periodical 4 ) under the name of Shiu Oil. As a 

 matter of curiosity we here reproduce briefly the properties of this sample 

 as quoted in the paper in question: The oil possessed a very agreeable 

 odour, reminding of Cayenne linaloe oil; d 0,870; « D — 14°; n D25 o 1,4606; 

 sap. v. 0; total linalool estimated by acetylation 62,3 p. c; soluble in 

 2 vols. 70 p. c. alcohol. 



According to these data the constants of the oil resemble those of 

 Cayenne linaloe oil, but it differs from that oil in its linalool-content, 

 which is materially lower. But this may be connected with the method 

 in which the acetylation has been carried out; for in the case of linalool 

 this must not be conducted in the ordinary way, as in that case the 

 results will be far below the actuality 5 ). 



Spearmint Oil. The representative sent out by our New York branch 

 has again paid repeated visits to the producing districts in Michigan and 

 Indiana this summer, and has ascertained the total area under cultivation 

 to be 2057 acres. In 1911 there were only 1520 acres under spearmint, 

 hence the production will be increased by the yield of 537 acres. An 

 area of 1100 acres has been newly planted; the whole of it by one farmer. 



*) Biochem. Zeitschr. 41 (1912), 241. Quoted from Apotheker Ztg. 27 (1912), 487. 



2 ) Report October 1910, 26, 79; April 1912, 92. 



3 ) Report October 1903, 10; April 1904, 10. 



4 ) Perfum. and Essent. Oil Record 3 (1912), 124. 



5 ) Compare with regard to this our Report of April 1907, 119. Gildemeister u. Hoff- 

 mann, Die dtherischen Ole, 2 nd Edition, Vol. I, p. 597. 



