fuentes 2b pee ero OF "SCHIMMEL 
‘in the cultivation of the bay tree in Montserrat. Robson*) now reports on 
Or page 25 of our Report October 1912 - we published a gatas on 
of the further experiments carried out since then. It appears that the experit 1 
plot is in a vigorous condition and that the yield of oil has become better every = 
but that the phenol content declined, amounting in 1912 to 55.5 per cent. (density of the 
oil 0.9484), in 1913-to 56.2 per cent. (d 0.9460), and in 1914 to 50.5 per cent. (d 0.9342), 
The cause of this decline is not to be looked for in conditions of cultivation, but is 
due to the shortness of distillation (6 hours), for on continuing distillation, heavier oils F 
were obtained which contained more phenol. Thus in the Government laboratory at 
Antigua 150 Ibs. of fresh leaves were distilled for nine hours, each hours’ distillate 
being collected, measured, and examined, when the following results were found: — 
; TEL ee ee 
PAR Rel ed Va seem ee ee r my 
Oil obtained in cc. Phenol content. Specific gravity “eae 
{ste Hour. es. O19 ee 23 percent. 0.8669 
2nd. ,, pte se Oa 18s fe 5 0.9241 
hes ns, a SORES Orie an 1.0259 os 
Ath. Bee oa Oe OD yates, 1.0381 
pie Se ee O50 <3, a ea a 
oth. Say el COO eae O60 ae 1.0432 q 
7H. Sine pea 99S Bos 1.0434 
Oth. fit RO gg DG 1.0436 
An oil obtained by nine hours’ distillation Showed a specific gravity of 0.9742 
and contained 60 per cent. of phenols. . 
In order to ascertain whether bay oil deteriorates in quality on keeping Tempany 
examined an oil which had been kept for two and a half years. 5 
He found only a slight rise in density, due, probably, to the polymerisation of 
the hydrocarbon myrcene. There was no change, however, in the phenol content. 
_ Oil of Boswellia serrata. Boswellia*) serrata, Roxb. (N.O. Burseracew) is a — 
moderate-sized gregarious Indian tree; in North-West India there occurs a variety — 
called B. serrata var. glabra*). A gum-resin exudes from the tree on injury (Boswellia — 
turpentine). In the Punjab this is collected twice a year, in March from incisions made 
in the previous October, and in June from incisions made in March. Each tree is said 
to yield annually about 2 Ibs. of gum-resin which is employed by the natives in the 
treatment of rheumatism and nervous diseases, and is also an ingredient in certain 
ointments. In Gujerat it is burnt as incense in religious ceremonies. The export of 
Boswellia resin is but small, amounting to 778 cwts., of value £ 1339 in as 
most of which was shipped to Germany and Austria-Hungary. . 
In the Forest Research Institute in Dehra Dun experiments have bee conducted 
with a view to ascertaining the best method of treating the crude gum-resin in order 
to obtain turpentine oil, rosin, and other products. The gutn and impurities were 
separated from the resin and oil by treating a quantity of the raw product in a false- ; 
bottomed copper still and passing steam through by means of a compound steam . j 
coil fitted with spur pipes. By this means small quantities of the most volatile con- 
stituents were distilled off, but the resin and most of the oil passed through the false 
1) West Indian Agricultural News of January 15", 1916; Perfum. Record 7 (1916), 34. — *%) We would — 3 
like to remind our readers that oil of olibanum also originates from a species of Boswellia, i.e. from Boswellia Sa 
Carterii, Birdw. See Gildemeister und Hoffmann, Die dtherischen Ole, 24-ed., vol. Ill, p. 123. — %) Bull. — 
Imp. Inst. 18 (1915), 351. eee 
