4 » SCIENTIFIC NOTES ON ESSENTIAL OILS. 41 
Sandalwood Oil, East Indian. The Dutch Pharmacopoeia IV stipulates that 
sandalwood oil should dissolve in 5 volumes of 70 p.c. alcohol, but it indicates 15° 
as temperature for the observation. In discussing the question (Report October 1906, 
page 88) we pointed out at the time that the indications should refer to a temperature 
of 20°, as most sandalwood oils would not pass the test if it were made at a tem- 
perature of 15°. M. Baning and P. van der Wielen*) have arrived at the same result 
when examining a number of unadulterated sandalwood oils. They are of opinion that 
instead of the solubility it would be better to determine the temperature of separation 
for a mixture of one part by weight of sandalwood oil and 4 parts by weight of 70 p.c. 
alcohol. This mixture should be clear at 24°, otherwise the oil must be looked upon 
as adulterated. For example, a sandalwood oil, the separation temperature of which 
was 17,2°, showed temperatures of 21,8, 24,6 and 29° respectively after additions of 
2,13 p.c., 4,26 p.c. and 6,39 p.c. of cedarwood oil. The separation temperatures for 
mixtures of sandalwood oil with turpentine, light and heavy camphor oils were also 
determined. 
We fail to see any advantage in this proposal, as against the usual way of deter- 
mining the solubility; in our opinion there is no cause for such an alteration. The 
solution of normal sandalwood oils requires 3 to 5 volumes of 70 p.c. alcohol. The 
wording of the pharmacopoeia, as in force hitherto, may well be left as it is, if the 
test temperature be altered to 20°. If a graduated glass cylinder is used’), such a 
test offers no difficulties whatsoever. 
In the Apotheker Zeitung, E. Wende®) published a method for acetylating sandalwood 
oil, and saponifying acetylsantalol, the advantages of which are that a chemist may 
make these tests with the ordinary means at his disposal in his dispensary. Acetylation 
and saponification are carried out under pressure. The former is carried out in a 
well-closed glass-stoppered bottle, of about 100 g. capacity in the infusion jar, the 
saponification in the same manner, in the ordinary water-bath. 
As illustrated in a table appended to the paper in question, the results obtained 
by this method agree well with those obtained according to the instructions given in 
the Ph. G. V. . 
In our last Report (page 89) we described a few sandalwood oils from Mauritius, 
sent us by the Imperial Institute of London. About the same oils a report has now 
made its appearance in a publication of this Institute‘). The constants laid down show 
but few and very unimportant divergences, so that we need merely refer to the pape. 
Santolina Oil. The ketone santolinenone, which had been found some time back 
by Francesconi and Scaraffia®) in santolina oil (from Santolina Chamaecyparissus, L., 
N. O. Compositae) has been examined more closely by L. Francesconi and N. Granata‘). 
It was found that the ketone santalinenone consists of two unsaturated ketones Cio Hig O, 
called «- and @-santolinenone by the authors, and that it contains yet a third, saturated 
ketone, CioHigO, probably of the camphor type. «-Santolinenone is optically inactive 
but is a racemic body. Proof of this was adduced by splitting «-santolinenone 
hydroxylaminoxime (m. p. 190°) by means of d-camphor sulphonic acid into the optical 
1) Pharm. Weekbl. 51 (1914), 1467. According to a reprint kindly sent us. — 2) Gildemeister and Hoff- 
mann, The Volatile Oils, 2-4 ed., vol.I, p. 567. — *) Apotheker Ztg. 29 (1914), 541. — 4) Bull. Imp. Inst. 
12 (1914), 235. — *) Comp. Report April 1912, 113. — *%) Gazz. chim. ital. 44 (1914), Il. 150; Chem. Zentralbl. 
1914, II. 1439. 
