SCIENTIFIC NOTES ON ESSENTIAL OILS. 39 
dried in transit. The properties of the oil were: dike 0,8979; ap + 24,49; np 1,4729; 
acid v. 2,2; ester v. 1,6; insoluble in 70 p.c. alcohol. When chilled, no solid parts 
separated, contrary to the oil examined by Rabak, from which 11,3 p.c. of camphor 
separated at — 15°. The oil described by Rabak also showed somewhat different con- 
stants, viz., doo 0,9144; ep + 30,2°; np 1,4082; soluble in 1,5 to 3,5 volumes of 70 p.c. 
alcohol. Burke and Scalione found 6 p.c. «-pinene (m. p. of the hydrochloride 131°), 
30 p.c. cineol (phosphoric acid method; identification by the iodol compound), 25 p.c. 
inactive terpenes, 8 p.c. thujone (b. p. 200°; d 0,917; « 25,9°; tribromide, m.p. 122°), 
25 p.c. camphor and 5 p.c. resinified parts. The inactive terpenes possibly consist 
of dipentene and terpinene. Traces of a solid bromide pointed to the presence of the 
first-named body, whereas a brownish deposit, which formed when shaking with Beck- 
man’s chromic acid mixture, indicated terpinene’). 
In the oil examined by Rabak there were more high-boiling parts, which might 
be due to the fact that the raw material had been collected later in the season. 
Oil of Ranunculus japonicus. Concerning an oil obtained from the fresh herb 
of Ranunculus japonicus we refer readers to page 79. 
Roman Chamomile Oil. On page 64 of this Report we have pointed out that, 
according to Senft, the variety @-floscula of Anthemis nobilis (a variety without marginal 
flowerets) is said to be distinguished by its particularly powerful aromatic odour, to 
which we might here add that some years ago we distilled the mother-plant and its 
variety separately without, however, being able to trace any difference in odour. 
yield diso0 Np200 acidv. ester v. 
single flowers with margin 0,33 p.c. 0,9180 1,44891 13,1 242,4 pe Re Nae poe: 
= ” without os 0,3 p.c. 0,9148 1,44741 6,1 255,3 strong separation of paraffin. 
From double flowers, as found on sale in chemists’ shops, we obtained a yield of 
1.75 p.c. of an oil showing the following properties: disco 0,9097; ap +- 1°10’; npao 1,44418; 
acid v. 11,2; ester v. 277,2; soluble in about 6 volumes of 70 p.c. alcohol with fairly 
considerable separation of paraffin. 
On this occasion we might mention an observation we made in the course of 
the last few years. Whereas, according to the observations recorded in technical 
literature, slight dextro-rotation is characteristic for Roman chamomile oil (up to + 3°) 
we have occasionally found slight laevo-rotation in oils of our own distillation. Such 
an oil had a rotation of ¢) — 2°30’, the other constants being normal: dis0 0,9097; 
Npx»0 1,44642; acid v. 3,8; ester v. 271,7; soluble in about 10 volumes and more of 
70 p.c. alcohol, with separation of paraffin. We are of opinion that this laevo-rotation 
occurs fairly frequently with Roman chamomile oil and that so far it has escaped 
observation merely because the rotation often cannot be ascertained with certainty 
owing to the intense coloration of the oil. With the oils in question, determination 
was only successful owing to the use of the sodium lamp recently constructed by 
E. Beckmann?) which is distinguished by its extraordinary illuminating power. Con- 
trary to ordinary sodium lamps in which a solid sodium compound is evaporated in 
the flame, the coloration of the flame is here attained by the introduction of salt- 
dust, produced by electrolysis of a 2 to 4 p.c. solution of sodium hydroxide or sodium 
*) Comp. von Baeyer, Berl. Berichte 27 (1894), 815. — 7%) Berl. Berichte 45 (1912), 2523. 
