SCIENTIFIC NOTES ON ESSENTIAL OILS. 9 
O. D. Roberts*). It had been obtained from the leaves to the extent of about 2 p.c. 
diso 0,865; &px20-+-0° 47’; acid v. 5,6; ester v. 6,2; ester v. after acetylation 55. 43 p.c. 
of the oil consisted of myrcene. The other component parts were: about 0,5 p.c. of 
anisic aldehyde, about 10 p.c. of linalool, 21,4 p.c. of methylchavicol and 18,4 p.c. of 
sesquiterpenes and decomposition products. The abstract in question does not state 
in which manner the presence of these bodies was proved. 
Cajuput Oil. For a cajuput oil distilled in Annam from the stalks and leaves of 
Melaleuca Leucadendron Roure-Bertrand Fils?) give the following values: dis0 0,9198; 
&, — 2° 36’; soluble in 1,8 volumes of 70 p.c. and in 0,5 volume and more of 80 p.c. 
alcohol. The oil contained 40,5 p.c. of cineol (resorcinol! method). 
Calamus Oil. Japanese calamus oil is closely related to the German distillate in 
its chemical constants and really differs from it only in its being specifically heavier. 
Within the last year, however, we repeatedly received samples of laevo-rotatory oils 
from Japan, whereas so far we had only observed dextro-rotation, same as in oils of 
German origin. In all other respects these Japanese oils showed quite normal con- 
stants, and possessed a good odour: djs0 0,9846 to 0,9863; #—5°36’ to — 11°25’; 
Np»0 1,91655 (one single test); acid v. 0,9 to 1,1; ester v. 1,3 to 9,1; soluble in about 
2 volumes of 80 p.c. and in 0,4 volume or even less of 90 p.c. alcohol. 
It could not be established how this difference in the rotation was to be explained, 
at any rate no indication pointing to adulteration could be found. Most likely the oils 
in question were obtained from a different species of calamus. According to Holmes’), 
Acorus spurius, Schott is very prevalent in Japan, its rhizome being said to be hardly 
distinguishable from the true Acorus Calamus, L. ‘In the Index Kewensis, however, both 
are spoken of as being identical. 
Oil of Calycanthus floridus. Calycanthus (Butneria) floridus, L. (N.O. Calycantha- 
ceae) iS an aromatic, small-sized shrub indigenous to northern America, and as an 
ornamental plant it is also met with in Europe. From its dry twigs, which had already 
lost nearly all their leaves, E. R. Miller, G. W. Taylor and M. H. Eskew‘) obtained from 
0,25 to 0,53 p.c. of a light yellow essential oil with an odour resembling camphor. 
d== 0,9136 to 0,9209; ap + 2,84 to +6,6°; nyo 1,4675 to 1,4753; sap. v. 12,5 to 16,6; 
Sap. v. after acetylation 65,7 to 75,1; soluble in 16 to 25 volumes of 70 p.c. and in 
every volume of 90 p.c. alcohol. Aldehydes, ketones and phenol ethers were either 
not present at all, or in traces only, but the oil contained a fair amount of cineol 
(iodol compound, m. p. 111°), as well as salicylic acid (2) (colour reaction with ferric 
chloride) and «-pinene (nitrolbenzylamine). As the pinene was but slightly dextro- 
rotatory, the authors assume that they had to deal with a mixture of d- and /-«-pinene 
in which the dextro-rotatory variety predominated. The oil also contained borneol 
which was recognized by its oxidation to camphor (m. p. of the oxime 118 to 119°). 
Linalool may possibly form part of the oil too. The fraction to be considered in 
respect of this alcohol yielded a body smelling like citral, after oxidation with chromic 
acid, but it was not possible to obtain a citral derivative in a pure state. 
Borneol is undoubtedly present, partly as ester. Of combined acids the presence 
of formic and acetic acids was proved by their silver salts. 
*) Journ. chem. Soc. 105 (1914), 2613; Chem. Zentralbl. 1915, I. 200. — *) Berichte von Roure-Bertrand Fils 
April 1914, 9. — *) Pharmaceutical Journ. Ill. 10 (1879), 102. — 4) Journ. Americ. chem. Soc. 86 (1914) 2182. 
