— 130 - £ 



of the constituents of essential oils. He mentions the distribution, chemical 

 and physical properties and the tests for the detection of the bodies in 

 question and, in conclusion, gives a welcome bibliography of the principal 

 books and periodicals dealing with essential oils and odoriferous substances. 



Under the title "De V embaumement avant et apres Jesus Christ" L. Reutter 1 ) 

 has published a book in which he not only describes the materials employed 

 in embalming but also gives detailed information on the manner in which 

 embalming is carried out. 



The same author has dealt* experimentally with part of a paper by 

 A. Tschirch 2 ) on the resins employed in Egypt and Carthage for embal- 

 ming corpses in the ten centuries preceding the Christian Era. Among 

 others he has examined the mummy of the Hekan-M-Saf, commander of 

 the Egyptian Navy at the time of the 30 th Dynasty. The presence of 

 storax, mastix, Aleppo resin, and asphaltum was demonstrated, that of 

 Chio turpentine and cedarwood resin was uncertain. Similar results were 

 obtained from the examination of an embalmed ibis in the Museum 

 of Neuchatel. In addition to storax and asphaltum, a tar was found to 

 be present which yielded benzene and phenol. The -ibis-mummy further 

 contained a resin yielding an essential oil from which colourless crystals, 

 m. p. 96°, were precipitated. The author also investigated the contents 

 of an urn, in which he found a resin showing a close resemblance to 

 gurjun balsam. Resin collected from the sarcophagus of a priest of the 

 necropolis of Carthage was found to contain mastix, storax, and Aleppo 

 resin, also most probably sandarach and asphaltum. The resin was 

 scented; when subjected to steam-distillation it yielded a volatile oil con- 

 taining thymol. Another resin obtained from Carthage showed a similar 

 constitution except that, besides the ingredients above mentioned, it con- 

 tained incense. This product was also scented and afforded an oil in 

 which the presence of thymol was demonstrated. 



"Commercial Guide to the forest economic products of India" is the title 

 of a book by R. S. Pearson 3 ) which contains valuable data on many oil- 

 or balsam-yielding trees of the Indian forests. It includes articles on the 

 sandal tree, Pinus excelsa, Wall ("Blue Pine") and Pinus longifolia, Roxb. 4 ) 

 which are well worth attention. The oil grasses (Cymbopogon species) are J 

 also mentioned, as well as various other products, including camphor, 

 cinnamon, gurjun balsam (from Dipterocarpus turbinatus, Gaertn. f.) car- 

 damoms, $c. Mr. Pearson, however, deals chiefly with the economic 

 woods, to which we are unable to refer here. 



y ) Paris and Neuchatel. From a copy kindly sent to us. 



2 ) Arch, der Pharm. 250 (1912), 170. 



3 ) Calcutta 1912. 



*) See the present Report, p. 106. 



