Commercial and scientific notes on essential oils. 9 



Bay Oil. — In our last Report (page 7) we mentioned that the cultivation of the 

 bay tree was making great progress in the West Indies. The yield of oil has con- 

 stantly been increasing, and the average phenol content of the product has, in the 

 year 1917, risen from 50 to 55 per cent. Nevertheless, we see from English notices 1 ), 

 the growers and distillers of the West Indies were hesitating to extend the bay oil 

 industry any further, lest the production should exceed the demand. An over-production 

 would only have to be apprehended, however, if the bay oil should fetch higher prices 

 than the cassia, thyme, and lemongrass oils. If the general condition of the market 

 in essential oils were taken into consideration, a better demand for bay oil should 

 soon be expected. 



The total exports of bay rum from the Virgin Islands amounted in the year 1919 

 to 84545 gallons of value 66789 $*). Of this 9012 gallons went to the United States 

 of America. These figures are considerably higher than those for the year 1918 which, 

 owing to transport difficulties and other consequences of the war, remained below 

 normal. For the year 1920 a further rise in the value of the exports may be predicted, 

 though the quantity may remain below that of 1919. Within the first 6 months of 

 1920, 33852 gallons of a value of 36026 dollars were exported. 



The bay oil industry is not yet sufficiently organised and is consequently exploited 

 to an incomplete degree. 



Birch Bud Oil has once more become available in fairly-sufficient quantities, 

 a fact which we should point out in this place. This news will be welcomed by the 

 numerous manufacturers of birch hair washes 8jc, for this product, and especially our 

 most readily-soluble quality, has sadly been missed for a long time. The procuration 

 of this material involved considerable difficulties and expenses which could not but 

 affect the prices. 



Oil of Sweet Birch. — As regards the characteristic reactions of this oil, see page 48 

 of this Report. 



As regards the determination of birchbark oil, wintergreen oil and synthetic methyl 

 salicylate, see page 48 of this Report. 



Oil of Brassica campestris chinoleifera (Colza Seed Mustard Oil). — The 



imports of European rape seed and mustard seed into America having almost completely 

 ceased of late, Chinese and Japanese substitution products have found their way again 

 into the States in their place. Thus Chinese colza was offered as a substitute for 

 mustard seed and it was bought, although neither the taste, nor its physiological 

 properties fitted it for the purpose. The Chinese colza seeds come, according to 

 A. Viehoever 3 ) from the crucifere Brassica campestris chinoleifera n. sp. Viehoever, which 

 grows in China. They are a little smaller than white mustard seed which they strongly 

 resemble. They contain 0.4 to 0.6 per cent, of crotonyl mustard oil 4 ) in the form of a 

 glucoside. According to Viehoever this oil is not poisonous, in contradistinction from 

 the allyl mustard oil present in the black mustard seed. For this reason, it is said, 

 the Chinese colza seed cake is a more harmless fodder than the Indian colza seed 

 cake which frequently contains mustard seed. 



*) Perf. Beeord 11 (1920), 121. — 2 ) IUd. 332. — 3 ) Journ. Americ. pharm. Assoc. 10 (1921), 16. 

 ') Cf. Gildemeister and Hoffmann, The Volatile Oils, 2 nd ed., vol. II, p. 527. 



