/ 
: pil. of ne | Ate qualities of cananga oil placed on the European market — 
: BS om time to time are best illustrated by a sample submitted to us for analysis by 
: ‘an importing firm recently.. The constants were as follows: dis0 0.8973; % — 8°18’; 
Sap. v. 61.5; insoluble in 95 per cent. alcohol from the very start; separation of oil 
at the bottom of the tube. 
ce - Not one of the above-mentioned constants is within the limits recognized for 
_cananga oil; ‘Specific gravity and optical rotation are much too low, saponification 
value is too high and, moreover, solubility is quite unsatisfactory. As a closer 
3 _ investigation proved, these irregularities were due to the oil having been heavily 
adulterated, the presence of coconut oil having been established beyond doubt. On ~ 
“rectification | by steam there was a residue of 18.3 per cent. which became solid — 
at ordinary temperature, showing a saponification value of 241.7, a figure which — 
_ characterized it as coconut oil. Seeing that pure cananga oil leaves but 3 per cent. 
_ of residue under ordinary circumstances, the quantity of coconut oil added should be 
~ somewhere near 15 per cent. 
— 
= In face of the low specific gravity of the. sample under examination it was evident = 
that coconut oil was not the only adulterant used, for this oil alone could not depress 
% _ the specific gravity down to 0.8973, as it is specifically heavier itself. Unfortunately 
it was impossible to investigate the sample more es clesely, the quantity at our disposal 
Being insufficient for further ae ~ 
Oil of Caraway. adie ‘to the report of the Netherland Ministry of ee 
_ Agriculture of the 15th. of July, 1916, the area under caraway cultivation this year 
_ amounts to 5032 hectares?) against 3967 hectares in 1915 
ae Sgn OLO8 Bt, » 1914 
= 7 and 5527 * » 1913 
= t-— The eopere on the state of the plantations was good for Groningen and Northern 
_ Holland, fair to good for Southern Holland and fairly good for Zealand and Northern 
Brabant. No more recent reports are to hand. Caraway prices have undergone an 
_ extraordinary rise in the course of last spring, the quotations of about fl. 26.— given 
_ at the end of last year rising to a level of fl. 46.— per cwt. in May, a figure never 
_feached before. Caraway oil prices rose accordingly and although very considerable 
stocks of oil were available in Germany, quotations had to follow suit. At the present 
_ time the market is fairly quiet. If the weather were to be propitious during the harvest 
and the yield of oil not below the average (in 1915 it was well below the average) 
the result of the distillation would help towards bringing back normal conditions, for the 
area under cultivation is nearly as large as in 1914. The demand from Germany and 
_ Austria will probably remain small for caraway and caraway oil, seeing that the liqueur 
industry is well nigh paralyzed through want of sugar and spirits of wine. It cannot 
_be said with certainty whether the export prohibition for caraway introduced by the 
_ Netherland preset will remain in force after the new crop. 
* 
mas — 
Ay Americ. Journ. Pharm, 87 (1915), 49. — %) 1 Hectare equals about 24/2 acres. 
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