Commercial and scientific notes on essential oils. 35 



Novel is, however, the preparation of two stereoisomeric oximes. It is not stated, 

 however, how the «- and ^-compounds were separated from one another. The results 

 of the investigation are summarised as follows: — The essential oil contained 20 to 

 30 per cent, of Mimonene, 44 to 57 per cent, of perilla aldehyde (b. p. 237°; di 5 o 0.9675; 

 [«] D — 145.8°) and some «-pinene. The «-anti-aldoxime (m. p. 102°) of this aldehyde 

 was 2000 times as sweet as sugar, and 4 to 8 times as sweet as saccharin. The 

 /3-syn-aldoxime (m. p. 129°) was not sweet, which is strange. Of new derivatives 

 were prepared the oxime hydrochloride (m. p. 114°) and the amide of perillic acid 

 (m. p. 164 to 165°). 



Petitgrain Oil. — As regards Spanish petitgrain oil, see page 76 of this Report. 



Pichurim Bean Oil. — Pichurim bean oil, which so far had only once been examined 

 by A. Muller 1 ) in 1853, has been studied by Roure-Bertrand Fils 2 ). From the disintegrated 

 seeds of Xectandra puchury major , Nees, also called Ocotea puchury major, Mart., a species 

 of the lauracee, which is a native of Southern Brazil, he obtained by steam distillation 

 2.3 percent, of a yellow-greenish oil of a peculiar smell and of the following properties:. — 

 diTo 1.0396; « D16 o — 4°54'; n D16 o 1.5180; soluble in 90 percent, alcohol, in 3 vol. and 

 more 80 percent, alcohol and in 12 vol. and more 70 per cent, alcohol; acid v. 2.80; 

 ester v. 0; sap. v. 2.80; ester v. after acetylation 35.47; free alcohol (calc. as Ci Hi 8 O) 

 10.02 percent.; phenols 8 per cent. Zsoeugenol was proved to be present by its benzoyl 

 derivative (m. p. 105°). Odour and boiling point (230°) rendered the presence of safrole 

 very probable. In the distillation 90 per cent, of the oil passed between 170 and 230°, 

 and 40 per cent, between 170 and 210°. The latter fraction had an optical rotation of 

 « — 6° 10' and a pronounced smell of cineole. The oil was decomposed at 240° 

 (according to A. Muller 3 ) an oil of a deep indigo-blue colour passed between 255 and 

 256°). By means of petrol ether about 0.23 per cent, of a brown oil of the following 

 constants:— di 5 o 1.0237; « D — 9° 28'; acid v. 9.33; ester v. 0; sap. v. 9.33; was obtained 

 from the aqueous distillate. 



Pimento Leaf Oil. — Very little is at present known concerning the properties of 

 pimento leaf oil. We therefore reproduce the constants of two oils of guaranteed purity 

 coming from Jamaica: — 



solubility in 

 diso «d n D20 o eugenol 70 per cent, alcohol 



I. 1.0638 ±0° 1.53897 96 per cent. 1 vol. and more 



II. 1.0646 — 0°8' 1.53963 96 per cent. 1 vol. and more 



The oils were of a yellowish-brown colour and resembled clove oil in their odour. 



Pine Leaf Oils. — The following two chief species of Douglas firs, frequently 

 designated by the same name Pseudotsuga Douglasii, Carriere, should, according to 

 A. Henry and M. G. Flood 4 ), be differentiated. 



(1) The Oregon Douglas fir (green fir?, red fir), Pseudotsuga Douglasii, Carriere, 

 growing on the west coast of America; (2) the Colorado Douglas fir (blue fir), pseudotsuga 

 glaum. Mayr., a native of the Rocky Mountains. The Oregon species is distinguished 

 by its beautiful, stately trees which are valuable in many respects and hence cultivated 

 in other countries: — They have, for instance, been planted in the good, deep-sandy soil 



: ) Cf. Gildemeister and Hoffmann, The Volatile Oils, 2 nd ed., vol. II, p. 487. — 2 ) Bull. Roure-Bertrand 

 VOs, April 1920, 35. — ? -) loc. eit. — *) Ferfum. Record 11 (1920), 218. 



