- 8 9 - 



a) d 15 o 0,8932, <*d ~[-6 8 / , n D20 o 1,48141, soluble in 2,3 vol. and 

 more of 70 per cent, alcohol , aldehyde content determined with bisulphite 

 about 85°/ , with neutral sulphite about 75%. 



b) di 5 o 0,8849, «r> -f- n°30 / > soluble in 3 vol. and more, of 70 per 

 cent, alcohol, from 5 vol. and upwards increasing opalescence. Aldehyde 

 content 79% (bisulphite) or 74% (neutral sulphite). 



Oil from Thuja plicata (Red Cedar). In our recent Reports 1 ) 

 we have dealt with the investigations made by Bias dale and by Bran- 

 del and Dewey respectively on the oil prepared from the leaves 

 of Thuja plicata (red cedar), a native of North America. We have 

 recently distilled a similar oil ourselves from the air-dried leaves of 

 trees which had been planted in the South of France, Prof. Heck el, 

 of Marseilles, having very kindly procured for us the material for 

 distillation. The oil, which was obtained to the extent of 1,32 °/ , 

 was of a pale yellow colour and possessed a strong odour of thujone: 

 di 5 o 0,9056, «d -|- 5°4 / , n D20 o 1,45721, acid no. 0,8, ester no. 16,9, 

 soluble in 70 per cent, alcohol with opalescence only (about 1:8) but 

 giving a clear solution in 1,2 vols, and more of 80 per cent, alcohol. 

 The thujone separated from the oil with the aid of semicarbazide 

 proved to be identical with a- thujone; the semicarbazone melted at 

 185 to 1 86° after being twice re-crystallised from alcohol, and the 

 thujone regenerated from it with phthalic anhydride had a rotation of 



«D-5°I2'. 



We desire to call special attention to the fact that Blasdale's oil 

 and our's were dextrorotatory, while Brand el and Dewey describe 

 their oil to be lsevorotatory. 



The botanical names in use for the American tree may also be 

 of interest, and are therefore set forth below: Thuja plicata Lamb, 

 non Don., Th. gigantea Nutt, Th. Menziesii Dougl., Th. Douglasii Nutt. 

 and Th. Lobii hort. (or rather Th. Lobbi hort.; the name being derived 

 from Lobb, who introduced the tree into Europe from Western North 

 America in 1853). 



Turpentine Oil. An announcement on the part of the Govern- 

 ment of Algeria 2 ), to the effect that the Forestry Authorities intend, 

 in the course of the month of March, to sell by auction ten (i Coupes 

 de regeneration" covered with Aleppo pines and occupying a total area 

 of about 550 hectares, situated in the districts of Telagh and Bel- 

 Abbes, appears to show that the manufacture of turpentine distillates 

 is receiving attention in other regions than those in which the pro- 

 duction of turpentine oil is being carried on at present. In the case 

 of six of these timber-felling plots it will be allowed to tap the trees 



*) Report October 1907, 91; November 1908, 117. 



') Bull, de l'Office du Gouvern. Gen. de l'Algerie 15 (1909), 50. 



