NOTES ON SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH. 119 
Notes on Scientific Research in the Domain of the 
Essential Oils. 
General. 
In the issue of the New Zealand Journal of Agriculture’) of July 1913, it is pointed 
out that in many parts of New Zealand aromatic plants such as rosemary, lavender, 
and especially peppermint, might be cultivated with success. In England a different 
opinion appears to prevail on this subject. Thus, for instance, an English periodical ”) 
shows, with an estimate of the cost of production, that peppermint-growing could 
hardly be made to pay in New Zealand, and would probably be unprofitable during the 
first few years. But if lavender, rosemary, and other aromatic plants were cultivated 
at the same time, the prospects might perhaps be more favourable. 
The first volume of the Annali della R. Stazione Sperimentale di Agrumicoltura e 
Frutticoltura (Acireale 1912) contains a few statements which are of interest for our 
particular branch of trade. For example, A. Parrozzani, in a detailed article, deals 
with the maturing of the fruits of the agruwmi, devoting a separate chapter to the oil 
yield and the analysis of the oils. L.Savastano and A. Parrozzani report on natural 
hybrids of the fruits of the agrwm. Finally, A. Parrozzani discusses a new method 
for the analysis of mandarin oil and the physiological action of methyl anthranilate. 
It would lead us too far to enter into particulars of the contents of these articles, 
and we must therfore content ourselves with mentioning them here. 
K. Irk*) has investigated the optical rotations of numerous oils distilled in Hungary. 
In the case of angelica seed oil and sage oil he discovered slight deviations from the 
values recorded in the literature of the subject. For the first-named he found ep +11 
to + 14,62° and for the second «p+ 7,82 to + 25°. In the course of years we have 
observed similar values with oils not originating from Hungary, namely, + 11 to 13°20’ 
for angelica seed oil and + 8°20’ to -+ 25° for sage oil. 
A. Juillet*) reports on the changes which take place in medicinal waters, and on 
the means of Sterilising such substances. Distilled waters are among those pharma- 
ceutical preparations which are most liable to change; the changes to which they are 
subject being partly of a physical or chemical character, and partly provoked by 
organic bodies such as fungi or alge. 
At the beginning of the 19th Century it was believed that changes in distilled 
waters caused the essential oil to be converted into “mucus”. Afterwards the changes 
were ascribed to the formation of algz. Not until the closing years of the last cen- 
tury was it recognised that the waters do not only contain algz, but also fungi and 
*) The Chemist and Druggist 88 (1913), 414. — %) Lbidem 638. — %) Kiserletiigyi Kézlemenyek 16 (1913), 
Part 5. From a reprint kindly sent to us. — *) Berichte von Roure-Bertrand Fils October 1918, 22. 
