Notes on scientific research. 79 



peppermint. The oils were colourless and yellowish-green and had the following 

 properties which testify to their good quality: — d 15 o 0.9080 and 0.9071; « D15 o — 23° 32' 

 and — 25°8'; n D15 o 1.459b and 1.4615; soluble in 90 per cent, alcohol, in 1 vol. and in 

 3 vol. 80 per cent, alcohol, in 2.5 vol. and in 3.5 vol. 70 percent, alcohol; acid v.O and 1.2; 

 ester v. 16.71 and 29.29; menthylacetate 5.85 per cent, and 10.35 per cent.; ester v. after 

 acetyl. 165.68 and 188.5. Total menthol 52.66 and 61.16 per cent; free menthol 46.67 

 and 50.35 per cent. 



Very different from one another in their properties were two oils, the one from 

 Mentha viridis. L, from Carcagente, and the other from Mentha sativa, L, from Malaga. 

 Both kinds are popularly known as Yerbauena. The first product had an intense yellow 

 colour and smelled of wild mint (Mastranzo); the second oil was yellowish-green, 

 smelled strongly of peppermint and had a sharp, bitter taste reminding of mint. The 

 constants were: — d 15o 0.950 and 0.9385; « D15 o — 3°15' and + 19°50'; n D15 o 1.4914 and 

 1.4865; soluble in 0.5 vol. (with more alcohol turbidity) 90 per cent, alcohol and in all 

 proportions in 90 per cent, alcohol, in 1 vol. 80 per cent, alcohol and in all proportions 

 in 80 per cent, alcohol; insoluble in 20 vol. and soluble in' 4 vol. 70 per cent, alcohol; 

 acid v. 2.4 and 1.98; ester v. 53.1 and 10.56; menthylacetate 18.78 per cent, and 

 3.72 percent.; ester v. after acetyl. 141.2 and 37.16. Total menthol 41.7 and 10.64 percent; 

 free menthol 24.57 and 9.26 per cent. Menthone 0.77 per cent, and per cent. 



Six different Pennyroyal Oils from Mentha Pulegium, L, coming from Cordoba, 

 Sevilla, jaen, Malaga, Alhaurin de la Torre and Alhaurin el Grande, were distinguished by 

 their high quality; most of them contained 80 to 90 per cent, of pulegone. The constants 

 were:— d 17o 0.934 to 0.948; « D180 + 16°12' to +22° 12'; n D180 1.4840 to 1.4864; entirely 

 soluble in 90 per cent alcohol, soluble in 0.8 to 1.2 vol. 80 per cent, alcohol, soluble 

 in 1.2 to 1.8 vol. 70 percent alcohol; acid v. 2.02 to 14.8; ester v. 7.4 to 13.2; menthyl 

 acetate 2.61 to 4.67 percent; ester v. after acetyl. 32.25 to 42.0; total alcohol 9.23 to 

 12.08 percent, free alcohol 7.06 to 8.95 percent; pulegone content (sulphite method) 

 82 to 90 per cent. The distillation of the Cordoba oil in a Ladenburg flask (710 mm.) 

 yielded the following fractions : — 205 to 209°, 5.75 per cent; 209 to 216°, 24.63 per cent; 

 216 to 217°, 21.91 percent; 217 to 219°, 22.96 percent; 219 to 222°, 11.45 percent; 

 222 to 223°, 3percent; residue 10.30 percent. Above 223° decomposition of the oil set in. 



Five Sage Oils, which had been obtained in the years 1911 to 1915 from Salvia 

 lavandulaefolia, Vahl. (determined by D. Bias Lazaro) which is common particularly in 

 Andalusia, showed very different behaviours:— d 15 o 0.908 to 0.9327; « D i 50 — 12° 44' to 

 4-20°50'; n D?0O 1.4672 to 1.4739; acid v. 0.45 to 1.14; ester v. 5.7 to 35.7; ester v. after 

 acetyl. 29.6 to 76.0; ester (calculated as linalyl acetate) 2.0 to 12.5 per cent; total 

 alcohol 8.34 to 20.9 percent; free alcohol 5.89 to 11.45 per cent; soluble in 0.3 to 

 0.5 vol. 90 per cent, partly in any proportion; soluble in 1.8 per cent, to 20 vol. 

 80 per cent alcohol ; soluble in 3.3 to 30 vol. 70 per cent, alcohol. 



The sage oil from Albunuelas (province of Granada) has more fully been investigated 

 by Dorronsoro. He distilled at 710 mm. pressure the following fractions: — 164 to 170°, 

 9.5 per cent; 170 to 180°, 38 per cent; 180 to 190°, 15.3 per cent; 190 to 203°, 

 8 percent.; 203 to 215°, 25 percent; residue 4 percent. The last fraction solidified 

 partly. Another, larger portion of the oil was distilled at reduced pressure, repeatedly 

 in several fractions. In this the following constituents were identified:— cineole was 

 present in large quantities (resorcinol compound); ^-camphor (m. p. 178°; oxime m.p. 128); 

 linalool (conversion into citral by means of chromic acid mixture); linalyl acetate and 

 iso- valerate. Camphene was probably present; from the fraction 170 to 180°, a white 

 body, m. p. 135 to 136° (camphene-camphoric acid) was obtained by treatment with. 



