Notes on scientific research. 127 



the bee-hive, not by the sence of sight, but by touch. As soon as a bee (the collector) 

 has discovered a food-place, it performs a "searching dance" when returned to the hive, 

 which causes the others bees to swarm out in all directions and to search for the 

 food-place. In cases where the crop emanates a blossomy smell the latter is noticed 

 with the searching bee, and this smell is then traced. When the crop is abundant 

 the collecting bee assists the others in searching by exhibiting its own smell-emanating 

 organ (located between the 5. and 6. back segment of the body), and thus impregnating 

 the surrounding of the food-place with its own smell. 



About 40 essential oils have been investigated by Heinz 1 ), of the Pharmacological 

 Laboratory at Erlangen, with regard to their pharmacological action. Although the oils 

 are frequently mixture of quite different components, they often show the same action, 

 insofar as the latter is based upon identical physical properties of the oils, e. g., volatility 

 and solubility of lipoids. For instance, the odoriferous bodies have in common both 

 the properties of local irritation, lasting, however, only a short time, and that of chemo- 

 taxis, i. e., the attractive action on leucocytes. Owing to the solubility of the essential oils 

 in lipoids, fats and oils, they easily permeate the skin protected by a layer of fat and hence 

 assailable only with difficulty. Equally, the aromatics spread rapidly in the blood, since 

 they combine readily with the blood corpuscles rich in cholesterol and circulate with them. 



Of details, Heinz deals with the action of peppermint oil on the liver 2 ), of juniper 

 oil on the kidneys, of thymol on the dental nerves, and of turpentine oil on the leuco- 

 cytes. We content ourselves with this reference, as we have frequently reported on the 

 pharmacological properties of these and of other essential oils 3 ). Yet we wish to add 

 that Heinz recommends an emulsion of milk with 5 per cent, turpentine oil for hypo- 

 dermic injection, and that he introduces a powder for dressing wounds composed of 

 sugar with 5 per cent, turpentine oil, which he terms "terpestrol". 



). C. C. Gunn and O. H. Plaut 4 ) furnish some details on the carminative action of 

 various essential oils, which, however, seem to contradict each other. According to 

 Gunn, essential oils such as anise, peppermint, fennel oils, 8jc., when diluted 1:20000, 

 stop the peristaltic motion entirely. The same action is effected by local application 

 of 0.5 cc. of a solution of 0.05 per cent, of the oils in Ringer's solution. The therapeutic 

 action consists in: relaxation of the cardia, alleviation of excessive peristaltic move- 

 ments, besides local irritation, such as hyperemia and sensation of heat. 



On the other hand, Plaut noticed, with an isolated bend of a dog's bowel (in situ), 

 marked increase of the peristaltic motion. Previous treatment with atropine effected 

 lessing of the motion, application to the bowel of cocaine neutralized the action com- 

 pletely, and morphine was without any influence on the action of the essential oils. 

 No explanation is given for this discrepancy which may be caused by the method 

 adopted, or by the different action of different doses. 



A short paper by F. Marre 5 ) deals with thetuse of aromatics as sedative 

 Aromatics of animal origin, such as musk, civet, castoreum, and ambra are known ever 

 since on account of their sedative action. Fumes of ambra were employed as a remedy 

 for epilepsy, and later on inhalations of ambra were proved to possess an anti- 

 spasmodic effect. 



J ) Winch, med. Wochenschr. 68 (1921), 628. As per Deutsche Parf. Ztg. 7 (1921), 157. — 2 ) Cf. Bericht 

 (Germ, ed.) 1931, 38. — 3 ) Cf. our Beports under the heading Pharmacological and physiological Notes. — 

 *; Jovrn. pharm. and exper. Therap. 10 (1920), 39 and 311. As per Therap. Halhmonatsh. 35 (1921), 184. — 

 ■J Varfum. modern* 14 (1921), 80. 



