sent in the oil to the extent of about 90 per cent. “The sores boilin above | 
’ were treated with sodium ee the See. freed from the addition on 
freed froth Cacia: and acids was acetylated; in the saponificaion ioe Jeane 
(analysis of the Silver salt) was established. A methoxyl determination of the esterif 
obama chtoride wiclden diphenylurethane of Betaniol, m. p. . 82 to 830, which Prove 
that the fraction contained geraniol. : 4 
A Japanese pepper oil described by S. Uchida*) had somewhat different properties a 
He calls it “Sansho” oil and states that it was distilled from the dried berries oe 
Xanthoxylum piperitum, the yield being 5.7 per cent.’ 80 per cent. of the oil boiled 
from 176 to 178°. The pale yellow, readily mobile liquid reminded of citronella oil a 
odour; dis.50 0.8504; p20 +46° 30’; np» 1.4600; acid v. 3.3; ester v. 19.28; after acetyl- — 
ation 23.23. It contained 2 per Sone of free acids (chiefly palmitic acid), 15 per cent. — 
of aldehydes and 77 per cent. of terpenes (chiefly dipentene). dhe manner in which 
these constituents were characterized is not indicated. LN ee 
Oil of Peppermint, American. We would like to mention in this place “ana 
“American Peppermint oil” sent us for examination from Switzerland. It shews what ~ 
kind of “stuff? may be found at the present time in commerce. Although but a ven 
small sample was placed at our disposal, it was large enough to reveal itself as an 
unmitigated sophistication. This was. shewn, to start with, by the ester value which _ 
was 186.2, a figure quite out of the question for peppermint oil, the normal figure Bh 
never being above 50, and reaching 75 only with German oil. The specific gravity — 
likewise was much too high, and only rotation and solubility could be called normal: — 
diso 0.9483; «)— 21°20’; soluble in 1.8 vol. and more of 70 per cent. alcohol, with sligh a 
opalescence. As we said before, but little oil was at our disposal, we were therefore 
restricted to establishing the adulteration only. Evidently the addition of ester wa 
made to produce the impression of a high menthol content. 
In an American contemporary”) we find a report on the SiGdaeiee of pepperinit 
and spearmint oils in the United States, from which we give the following particulars: : 
The annual production of peppermint and spearmint oil in the United States is estimated 
by the Department of Agriculture at about 250000 Ibs., the world production amounting | | 
to about 600000 Ibs. Practically all the American ei is produced in the States of 
Michigan, Indiana and New York, close upon 25000 acres being under mint in thes 
States. But there are other localities where mint could be cultivated successfu 
the commercial demand for the oil were greater. At the present time prices fluc 
considerably and the entire industry would suffer from overpcagye ey if the a 
were to be rapidly extended. VA 
1) Bull. Forest Expt. Stat., Meguro, Tokyo 1915; Journ. Soc. Chem. Industry 85 (1916), 273. 
and Druggist 88 (1916), 476. — %) Oil, Paint and Dug Reporter 88 (1915), N° 23, poll. 
