40 Report of Schimmel § Co. 1922. 



On account of this result there can be no doubt that we had to deal with an 

 adulteration. We presume that there was an admixture of citronella oil or a fraction 

 thereof, which would explain the defective solubility. 



Gingergrass Oil. — Two samples, described as sofia oil, were forwarded to the 

 Imperial Institute from Dehra Dun in 1916. On investigation 1 ), the oils revealed the 

 following constants: — d*g 0.9 10 and 0.907; « D — 15°48' and — 14°3'; sol. in 2.1 and 

 2.0 vols, of 70 per cent, alcohol, no opalescence on dilution to 10 vols.; acid v. 2.3 and 

 1.5; ester v. 25.7 and 19.8; ester v. after acet. 170.5 and 180.6. The oils showed a slight 

 odeur of citral, the absorption test with sodium hydrogen sulphite, however, manifested 

 nothing abnormal in this respect, since the two oils contained 12 and 11 percent, of 

 matter soluble in that reagent, whereas of a commercial oil 10 per cent, were absorbed. 



A further sample of the same oil originating from the United Provinces of India 

 (1917) had the constants : — dg| 0.936 ; « D +42.87°; n D20O 1.490; insol. in 70 per cent, 

 alcohol; acid v. 4.5; ester v. 13.5; total alcohols, calculated as geraniol, 42.7 per cent. 



Oil of the Berries of Heeria paniculosa. — The berries of this anacardiacea 2 ), 

 indigenous in Zululand and known there as isifeku, yielded on water-and-steam- distillation 

 4.47 to 6.07 per cent, essential oil 3 ). The oil is located especially in the pericarp and 

 shows no particular odour. It consisted for the greater part of terpenes and had the 

 following constants:— d 0.832, « 3.75° 4 ),'acid v. 1.6, ester v. 4.2, ester v. after acet. 1 4.8. 



Oil of Houttuynia cordata.— By steam distillation of the herb Houttuynia cordata, 

 Thunb., a piperacea known as Dokudame in Japan, Y. Shinosaki 5 ) obtained 0.0049 per cent, 

 of a light brown essential oil with a strong, somewhat disagreeable odour, and the 

 following characters: — d 15 o 0.8744; [«] D — 5°; n D20 o 1.4685; acid v. 16.65; sap. v. 28.40. 

 On treatment with sodium bisulphite, methyl w-nonyl ketone (semicarbazone, m. p. 122 

 to 123°) was isolated. Repeated distillation of the residual oil is yielded a terpene 

 fraction, b. p. 60 to 61° (14 mm.), 167 to 168° (766 mm.), as the principal product; 

 this consisted of an aliphatic terpene (probably myrcene) and a small quantity of a 

 cyclic terpene. The oil also appears to contain a solid acid. 



Oil of Juniperus taxifolia. — From the leaves and twigs of Juniperus taxifolia, 

 Hook, et Arn. (Japanese shimamuro), a coniferous plant indigenous to the Ogasawara 

 Islands, Y. Shinosaki 6 ) obtained by distillation 0.24 per cent, of a light green oil. Two 

 specimens of the oil had the following characters: — d 15 o 0.8675 and 0.8701 ; « D — ? and 

 — 29°; n D20O 1.4702 and 1.4718; acid v. 0.94 and 0.0; sap. v. 11.69 and 10.37; sap. v. 

 after acet. 19.60 and 18.89. The oil contained above 50 per cent, of «-pinene (mainly 

 Z ; a-pinene containing a small quantity of the d,Z-a-isomeride) and possibly a bicyclic 

 ■ terpene, a free alcohol (Ci Hi 8 O), ester, sesquiterpene, and sesquiterpene alcohol. 



Oil of Juniperus thurifera. — According to L. Lestra 7 ), there is only a difference 

 in the size and the build of the fruits between Juniperus thurifera, var. galliea, De Coiny, 

 growing wild in France, and Juniperus thurifera, L., occuring in Portugal, Spain and 



x ) Bull. Imp. Inst. 18 (1921), 343. — 2 ) This species is not mentioned in "the Index Kewensis of 1910. 

 — 3 ) Chem. News 120 (1920), 277. Ace. to Bull.Roure-Bertrand Fits, April 1921, 135. — 4 ) The direction 

 of rotation is not quoted in the abstract. — 6 ) Journ. chem. Ind. Japan 21 (1921), 557. Joum. Soc. chem. Ind. 10 

 (1921), A. 560. — 6 ) Journ. chem. Ind. Japan 24^(1921), 202. Journ. Soc. chem. Ind. 40 (1921), A. 411. — 

 7 ) Parfum. moderne 14 (1921), 210. 



