— 103 — 



thymol should evaporate on the water bath without leaving a residue; 

 identity-reaction; test for phenol. 



1 ) Thymol boils between 233 and 2 34° when the mercury column is entirely 

 surrounded by the vapours. Compare Introduction, 



Turpentine Oil, crude {Aetheroleum Terebinthince crudum). 

 Colourless or faint yellow; d 15 o 0,860 to 0,875; b. p. 150 to 162 ; 

 should have no empyreatuatic smell. 



Turpentine Oil, purified {Aetheroleum Terebinthince depuratum). 

 Colourless; diso 0,860 to 0,870; b. p. 155 to 162 ; soluble in 10 to 

 12 parts of spiritus conc.\ 5 g. of oil when allowed to evaporate on 

 the water bath must leave no weighable residue; when 25 cc. oil are 

 shaken with 5 cc. spiritus cone, and 2 drops of phenolphthalein solution, 

 the alcoholic layer should assume a definite red colour when 0,3 cc. 

 Y10 normal potash solution is added. 



Chemical Preparations and Drugs. 



Apiol. It will be remembered that this body has been introduced 

 into the new French Pharmacopoeia of 1908 1 ) which is to come into 

 force on 15 th May of the current year 2 ). For the present we have 

 no means of estimating the total annual requirements of the French 

 pharmacies in this article, but judging by the enquiries already received 

 we are disposed to conclude that it is much in excess of the possible 

 production. So far we have just managed to find enough raw material 

 wherewith to produce the slight quantity of apiol for which a market 

 could be found, but we greatly doubt if enough raw material will be 

 available in case the demand for the article should increase materially. 

 It would have been well if the editors of the Pharmacopoeia in question 

 had obtained sufficient information on this point beforehand. 



Civet. We have received some few small lots of exceptionally 

 fine quality, which we commend to the special notice of connoisseurs 

 of this important perfume. We have in stock original horns of almost 

 all sizes. Some parcels which were offered in Hamburg and Marseilles 

 have turned out to be heavily adulterated, and it is particularly 

 desirable to buy this article only from proved trustworthy suppliers, 

 who are able to give satisfactory guarantees as to original quality. 



Coumarin. Since the selling prices have been regulated by a 

 syndicate, business runs a normal course, and although at the low 

 prices ruling it is not possible to make large profits, the ruin which 



J ) Report November 1908, 144. . 

 2 ) Compare the present Report, p. 8. 



