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Juniper Oil, empyreumatic (Cade Oil). In our last Report 1 ) 

 we referred at length to a paper by Pepin on the origin, preparation 

 and examination of cade oil. A publication of this kind deserves the 

 warmer welcome because it tends to revive the interest in this oil. 

 If less has been heard in recent years of the excellent action of this 

 oil in skin- diseases, which has been praised by leading dermatologists, 

 the reason is simply that the adulteration of cade oil has lately 

 assumed incredible dimensions and that a really pure article is 

 nowadays almost the exception. In most cases, therefore, it may 

 be taken for granted that the non-success of cade oil which has been 

 observed in dermatological practice is due to its admixtures. Probably 

 even it often happens that other empyreumatic distillates are used 

 in lieu of cade oil, and with the present insufficient knowledge of 

 the properties and composition of the article it is difficult to recognise 

 such substitutes invariably and with certainty. This matter was all 

 the more perplexing because up to now it has been almost impossible 

 to obtain a really authentic material which would serve as a standard 

 in judging cade oil. It is therefore undoubtedly to Pepin's credit 

 that he should try to re-establish the reputation of genuine cade oil 

 by showing, from material distilled by himself, what should be the 

 requirements of a genuine oil. 



We have followed the whole question with great interest and have 

 at once taken the necessary steps to procure a guaranteed pure cade 

 oil, which we have recently begun to list. We also refer to this oil 

 here in order that, by bringing it to the notice of the widest possible 

 circle, we may induce dermatologists to experiment again with pure 

 cade oil with renewed confidence. 



The examination of a sample of the oil gave the following results : 

 di5Q 1,0309, acid content (calculated for acetic acid) 0,64%, perman- 

 ently clearly soluble in any proportion of chloroform and anilin. In 

 the case of solutions in ether, benzene and glacial acetic acid, which 

 at first are also clear in any proportion, precipitates occur after some 

 lapse of time. An equal volume of oil and of 90 or 95 per cent, 

 alcohol is required for solution, and here the solution remains clear 

 when further quantities of the solvent are added, but in both cases 

 a flocculent separation occurs after some time. In boiling, the oil 

 behaved as follows: — 







760 



mm. 











3 1 



tnm. 







150 



to 



300 



about 



55 



/o 



80 



to 



150 



about 



53 



% 



300 



j) 



35o° 



?? 



12 



/o 



150 



)j 



175° 



» 



12 



% 



Residue 





fj 



3i 



/o 



Residue 





39 



32 



% 



A ) Report November 1908, 24. 



