— 27 — 



principle by means of acetic anhydride, sodium bisulphite, perman- 

 ganate etc. were fruitless; only by treatment with magnesium ethyl- 

 iodide the methylchavicol could be obtained in inactive state; it 

 boiled at 214 to 215 (corr.). After being heated for 48 hours to 

 250 in sealed glass tubes and left to stand in the cold, crystals 

 separated out from the distillation residue (temp, in the liquid 240 ). 

 These crystals, when purified from acetone and alcohol, melted at 9 8°. 

 In addition, there was obtained a body of m. p. 166 . Both, when 

 dissolved in petroleum ether or benzene, gave a blue fluorescence. The 

 elementary analysis indicated methylchavicol; the determination of 

 molecular weight showed that both bodies consisted probably of double 

 molecules of methylchavicol. From the compound melting at 9 8°, an 

 additive product of bromine with the formula C 20 H 24 O 2 Br 2 could 

 be obtained. The examination is being continued. 



From Anjouan, one of the Comoro islands, we have received a 

 sample of basil oil which, in its properties, resembled the Reunion 

 oils. Like these, it had a high sp. gr., diso 0,9608, its optical rotation 

 was to the right, «d -j-o°4o', and it possessed a high index of refrac- 

 tion, n D20° 1*51425. It gave a clear solution with 5 vols, of 80 per cent, 

 alcohol, which remained unaltered when diluted. 



Bay Oil. The past months unfortunately have brought no improve- 

 ment in the position of this oil, which was once an article of so much 

 importance. The demand continued to drag, and we regret again to 

 be compelled to state that in spite of its many excellent qualities, 

 bay rum, formerly so popular, appears to be less used than previously. 

 This notwithstanding, there are quite a large number of customers for 

 our terpeneless bay oil. 



The Imperial Institute in London has sent us two samples of 

 bay-oil produced in the Fiji islands, which were found to possess the 

 following constants: — 



a) d 15 o 0,9893, « D — i°, phenol-content 23°/o- Soluble in 0,3 vols, 

 and more of 90 per cent, alcohol. 



b) d 15 o 0,9605, «r> — 2 10', phenol-content 24%. Soluble in 

 0,3 vols, and more of 90 per cent, alcohol ; when diluted, the solution 

 became opalescent. 



As compared with the normal commercial oils, which contain 

 about 60% of eugenol, the two samples show an exceptionally low 

 phenol- content, which may be due to the manner of manufacture. 

 In the course of the distilling-process one part of the bay oil separates 

 out on the surface of the receiver, while the other sinks to the bottom; 

 hence, if a normal oil is to be produced, these two parts must be 

 carefully mixed after distillation. If this is neglected, the result 



