SCIENTIFIC AND OTHER NOTES ON ESSENTIAL OILS. 37 
viridis” in 1809. The Index Kewensis distinguishes between three different kinds of 
Mentha sativa, i.e. M. sativa, L., which is the original type, M. sativa, Roxb. = M. arven- 
sis, L. var. and M. sativa, Sm. = M. aquatica, L. var. No oil has been distilled so 
far from either of these mints. 
Thyme Oil. In Limaru (British East Africa) thyme oil was distilled some little 
time back). The plants had been raised from English and French seeds. 
The oil distilled from English thyme (yield 0.5 and 0.7 p.c.; d 0.901 and 0.905; 
np 1.4900 and 1.4768) contained 32 p.c. of liquid phenols, the one from French thyme 
(yield 0.38 p.c., d 0.905; np 1.4908) 40 p.c. of readily crystallizing phenols. 
Turpentine Oil. The possibility has been discussed repeatedly of late to create 
a home resin industry in Germany, in order to render the country independant of 
American and French turpentine products”). The prospects for the creation of turpentine 
manufacture in Germany seem to be fairly favourable, for, according to the statement 
of an Austrian expert who had been asked by the Prussian Government to examine 
the State Forests of “Prussian Poland” (province of Posen) from the point of view of 
resin production, these woods should produce a crop of resin and turpentine oil 
worth more than two million marks annually. To this would have to be added the 
numerous great private forests which would undoubtedly fall in line with the Govern- 
ment. If further examinations of other Prussian State forests produce similar results, 
the yield of the Prussian forests alone would cover about half the requirements of 
Germany. If the remainder of Germany joins in the movement, the whole requirements 
could be covered in this manner. Needless to say, some time will have to elapse 
before this can materialize. 
According to a report in the Chemiker-Zeitung*), the tendency of the American 
market was very depressed down to the middle of September. Prices had reached a 
low level, which had been simply regarded as utterly impossible amongst producers. 
Even a reduction in the production could not stop the crumbling away of prices, 
although it had been carried out on a fairly liberal scale. In the four principal markets, 
Savannah, Jacksonville, Pensacola and Brunswick, the short production in turpentine oil 
amounted to 15000 barrels in round figures in July this year, and to about 40000 barrels 
of rosin. This amounts to a reduction in July by about 25 p.c., and even 32 to 33 p.c. 
when the period from the beginning of April to the end of June is considered. However, 
even this important reduction did not prevent prices from dwindling temporarily to 
38 cents in New York and 352/s cents in Savannah. In consequence of the new 
Inspection Law in Florida, the possibility of joint selling operation is out of the question. 
Every attempt in this direction on the part of the producers failed so far. These 
fruitless endeavours have induced the southern States to draw the American Govern- 
ment’s attention to the supply, by the northern States, of war material for England 
and France, which prolongs the war and which would seriously damage the southern 
States as long as the war lasted, apart from the heavy losses already sustained. The 
stand taken by the southern States against the northern States has assumed the form 
of an open fight, but as America (i.e. the Washington Government) is not inclined to 
use determined language in London as regards permission of unhindered export of 
1) Perfum. Record 5 (1914), 423. — %) Seifenfabrikant 35 (1915), 617, 645. — R. Biirstenbinder, Deutsche 
Parj.-Ztg.1 (1915), 81. — W. Rojahn, cbidem 139. — #%) Chem. Ztg. 39 (1915), 768. 
