Pharmacopoeias. 87 



Cassia oil 1.055 to 1.065 4 ). Reactions with nitric acid and with ferric chloride; per- 

 centage of cinnamic aldehyde not below 70 5 ). 



x ) Cassia oil is from the beginning dark yellow to brown; neither of the two cinnamon oils are colourless. 

 2 ) With cassia oil, the solution is in most cases not quite clear. 



») Up to —1°, rarely higher. With cassia oil, the rotation amounts up to —1° and +6°. 

 4 ) The upper limit is given too low, it must read 1.070. 



6 ) This does not apply to either of the oils. With Ceylon cinnamon oil, the aldehyde content amounts 

 to 65 to 76 per cent.; with cassia oil, the lowest value is at least 75 per cent. 



Clove Oil (Essenza di garofani).— Yellowish, turning gradually brown when exposed 

 to the air; di 5 o 1.045 to 1.070; soluble in 2 parts of 70 per cent, alcohol; eugenol per- 

 centage at least 85 when tested with 5 per cent caustic potash solution 1 ); identity 

 reaction and test for absence of phenol 2 ). 



x ) The amount of caustic solution required by the pharmacopoeia is insufficient. This fact has equally 

 been pointed out by V. Massera (Riv. Ital. delle essenze e profumi 3, Jan. 12, 1921; ace. to Chem. ZentralU. 1922, 

 II. 171) who suggests to shake, in a cassia flask, 10 cc. oil with 100 cc. 3 per cent, caustic soda solution. 



2 ) Adulterations of clove oil with phenol have never been observed hitherto. A note on the rotation 

 might have been useful, clove oil rotating to the left, up to — 1°35'. 



Eucalyptole (Eucalijptolo) . — Colourless; disoO.930 1 ); b.p. 176 to 177°; solidifies, 

 in a freezing mixture, to a crystalline mass which remelts at — 1° 2 ); identity reaction 

 with bromine; when mixed with the same volume of carbon disulphide eucalyptole 

 must yield a clear mixture (test for water); test for phenols with ferric chloride 3 ). 



1 ) The specific gravity ranges between 0.928 and 0.930. 



2 ) Eucalyptole melts at about +1°. If necessary, congealing must be started by rubbing the glass walls 

 with a glass rod. 



s ) This test is unnecessary, on the other hand, it might have been pointed out that eucalyptole must 

 be inactive. 



Eucalyptus Oil (Essenza di eucalipto). — Light yellow 1 ), on exposure to the air it 

 turns brown and resinifies; d 15 o 0.910 to 0.930; « D faintly to the right 2 ); soluble in 3 vols, 

 of 70 per cent, alcohol; percentage of eucalyptole not below 70, tested by the resor- 

 cinol method 3 ). 



*) Eucalyptus oil is colourless, pale yellow, or pale greenish. 

 *£ 2 ) The rotation amounts up to -fl5°. 



3 ) The pharmacopoeia prescribes our original test of shaking 10 cc. oil with 90 cc. of a 50 per cent, 

 resorcinol solution. Since sometimes too high figures are obtained hereby, we later on modified the method. 

 Compare Reports April 1908, 50 and October 1915, 20. 



Juniper berry Oil (Essenza di ginepro). — Colourless or faintly greenish yellow, 

 thickening on exposure to the air and light and turning then more yellow; d i5 o 0.865 

 to 0.885 x ); soluble in 9 parts of 90 per cent, alcohol 2 ) and in 1 part of carbon disulphide 3 ). 



*) The lower limit is given too high, it must read 0.860. 



2 ) Only freshly-distilled oils answer this requirement; the solubility decreases rapidly. 



*) A possible turbidity is caused by a slight content of water due to the preparation of the oil. Here, 

 too, a reference might have been made to the optical rotation, the latter being to the left and amounting usually 

 >p to —13°, rarely higher. 



Juniper Oil, empyreumatic (Cade Oil) (Olio cadinoj.— Dark brown ; di 50 0.99 to 1 .05 ; 

 sparingly soluble in water to which it imparts an acid reaction; soluble in ether, 

 chloroform, and absolute alcohol; miscible with carbon disulphide and benzine only 

 with turbidity; about 65 per cent, of the oil must distil between 150 and 300°; identity 

 reactions. 



Lavender Oil (Essenza di lavanda). — Colourless 1 ), faintly yellow or green; 

 diso 0.882 to 0.895; « D to the left; soluble in 3 parts of 70 per cent, alcohol; percentage 

 of linalyl acetate, at least 35; test for absence of citric ester 3 ). 



