Commercial and scientific notes on essential oils. 53 



investigated in 1917, contanied 52 to 62 per cent. 1 ). Equally, the yield of oil in the 

 present instance was less (0.2 per cent.) as compared with the former yields (0.5 and 

 0.45 per cent.) obtained in 1916 and 1917. It was of importance to as certain whether 

 this low yield of oil was due to faulty distillation or whether it was due to the stage 

 of growth or condition of the leaves. Since the oil is of importance for the manu- 

 facture of thymol, it was suggested that the conditions be determined for obtaining 

 the largest yield of oil containing a maximum of thymol. 



Olibanum Oil. — See Frankincense Oil, p. 36 of this Report. 



Orange Blossom Oil. — According to news from the South of France, the probable 

 result of the coming flower crop will be about one fourth of the normal average. As. 

 it is known, the trees had suffered from the severe frost in the winter 1919/20 to 

 such an extent that part of them had to be cut down to the roots, whereas from 

 others the largest branches had to be sawn off. These trees, of course, do not come 

 into consideration at all for the next crop. Those, however, which in warmer places 

 were less exposed to the frost have plenty of buds and promise fair, unless there be 

 frosts again before the beginning of May. Nothing can be said so far as to the price 

 of the blossoms, but after having paid 10 francs per kilo in 1920 and Fr. 12.50 in 

 1921, one hopes to see them this year reduced to about one-half. 



W. Niemz 2 ) states that the production of neroly oils in Italy, especially in Sicily, 

 which so far had been unable to compete with the French distillates, is improving 

 also in quality. He says that it is scarcely possible to tell any difference between 

 Italian and French oils. 



On account of our own experience we are a little more sceptical. What we have 

 seen so far of Italian oils does not come up by far to the French qualities. This 

 holds good even for the samples received quite recently. Apart from the odour, there 

 is a difference in the constants. We have often had the impression that one is a 

 little careless in the selection of the material, distilling not only flowers, but leaves, 

 branches and unripe fruits. It is also possible that the blossoms of the bitter and 

 the sweet orange-trees are used indiscriminately and that' the state of development of 

 the blossoms is not sufficiently taken into consideration. In France, only the fully 

 developed blossoms of the bitter orange-tree, gathered with care, are distilled, and 

 this accounts perhaps for the superiority of the French product. 



Origanum Oil. — In our Report of 1918, page 37, we quoted as a communication 

 of the Imperial Institute 3 ) the phrase: "Ordinary Cyprus oil is said to contain merely 

 thymol" and added that this seemed to us rather doubtful. It has been found out 

 meanwhile that the mistake was on our side, as the original English text states cor- 

 rectly: "Cyprus origanum oil only contains carvacrol". 



Oil of Orixa japonica. — By steam distillation of the leaves and twigs of 

 Orixa japonica, Thunb. (Celastrus Orixa). a celastracea known in Japan as Kokusagi, 

 Y. Shinosaki 4 ) obtained about 0.01 per cent, of a light brown oil having a characteristic 

 odour recalling that of the oil of Lindera sericea, Blume 5 ). The constants were: — 



l ) Comp. Report 1918,36. — 2 ) Deutsche Parf.-Ztg. 7 (1921), 161. — 3 ) Bull. Imp. Inst. 15 (1917), 306. — 

 *) Jtmrn. diem. Ind., Japan 24 (1921), 563. Journ. Son. ckem. Ind. 40 (1921), A. 560. — 5 ) Hitherto, nothing is 

 known as to the essential oil of this lauracea. 



