“SciENTiFIC "AND OTHER NOTES oN ESSENTIAL OILS. TN gr. 
= with ‘the alanis grown in Nladison the yield was 0. 123 per cent. from the fresh 
ee rial parts, 0.638 per cent. from dried rhizomes and 2.50 per cent. from dried roots. 
a ‘The air-dried rhizomes from Bell furnished 0.95 per cent. of oil, those of commercial 
material 1.493 per cent. The yield from the rhizomes cultivated in Madison and Bell. 
Ss is unusually low. This may possibly be due to the fact that the plants had been 
_ planted away from their natural surroundings. The oil from the fresh tops was straw- 
coloured and had a pleasant, aromatic, camphory odour and an acid, spicy, some- 
_ what bitter taste. The oil obtained from the rhizomes grown in Madison and Bell was 
a of reddish-brown colour and possessed an aromatic, somewhat camphor-like odour, 
resembling that of the freshly dug rhizomes, and a pungent bitter taste. The oil from 
the roots was golden yellow in colour, had a pleasant camphory odour and a pungent, 
bitter, acrid taste. From rhizomes obtained in the open market an oil was distilled 
which had a brownish-yellow colour and also a pungent, somewhat aromatic odour, 
a resembling camphor, and a pungent, bitter taste. The oil from the fresh zrial part of 
calamus dissolved in 5 and more volumes of 90 per cent. alcohol, with turbidity, and © 
in 18 volumes-of 70 per cent. alcohol. Rhizomes grown in Madison yielded an oil 
_ which was soluble in 70 and 90 per cent. alcohol. Root oil dissolved in 6 volumes 
~ of 90 per cent. as well as in 40 volumes and more of 70 per cent. alcohol. The dif- 
ference in solubility points to more terpenes or sesquiterpenes being present in root 
oil than in the oil obtained from rhizomes and erial parts. The rhizome oil appears 
_ to contain more oxygenous bodies than the oil from other parts of the plant. The test 
_ for phenols was negative. Aldehydes were proved in all the oils by means of magenta 
and suiphurous acid, the oil from the tops showing the strongest, root oil the weakest 
- coloration. From this Russell concludes that the formation of aldehydes is more pro- 
‘nounced in the parts of the calamus plant exposed to the light. 
‘In the oil from the tops esterified butyric acid and coenanthylic acid (heptoic acid) 
were present; they were characterized by the analysis of their silver salts. Sy 
P The three oils were fractionated by distillation into eight fractions for which the 
- author established the physical constants, as well as their colour and odour. The 
_- quantities at his disposal appeared to be too small to permit of the constituents 
_ being determined. 
q 
Oii of Camphor. According to a British Consular report‘) on camphor exports 
from Formosa in 1913 and 1914, the exports rose from 7.86 million pounds of a value 
of £ 495720.— in 1913 to 8.85 million pounds, of a value of #£ 546890.— in 1914. 
_ Of these quantities the most important markets received the following shipments: — 
: 1913 1914 
United States. . . . . 3597000 lbs. 3478000 Ibs. 
VAG Ae re eas, DIT OND = 2483000 _,, 
a ee OEMNANY ae aes 1048000: ;, 146400 _,, 
"oe IBUCIANE cs ee De ne I 250 000; 703 000_,, 
Rauee fs ats 1 34000: 634.000 _,, 
India . 3 Uhre cate = 35 72.000=—, 
Austria-Hungary . eres 13000 _,, 20000 
total amount: 7861000 lbs. 8 854 000 Ibs. 
As will be seen from above_table, camphor exports fluctuate considerably. In 
1914 Japan drew much camphor from Formosa, but .of this quantity it re-exported a 
1) Chem. Industrie 38 (1915), 552, / 
