Sacdine the components of vanilla, we would saniend von ‘Beneabere s indications 
Eee. cit., page 269) as to the presence of piperonal (heliotropin). Basing his assertion 
q on Tschirch’s “Handbuch der Pharmakognosie” (2"4- vol., page 1304), von Fellenberg says 
that, in addition to vanillin, vanilla likewise contains piperonal, the latter being even — 
the chief aromatic of vanillons. What we have to say is, that, so far, nobody has © 
E proved. the presence of piperonal in vanilla beans, and even as far as vanillons and 
Tahiti vanilla are concerned there is only W. Busse’s*) supposition that, in addition 
_ to vanillin, they might contain piperonal. H. Walbaum?) proved later on that the aro- 
3 matics of Tahiti vanilla, apart from vanillin, chiefly consisted in anisic alcohol, there 
_ being, besides, small quantities of anisaldehyde and anisic acid. However, no trace 
of piperonal was discovered. In Tschirch’s book, the presence of piperonal is likewise 
merely mentioned as ‘supposition, and even with regard to Tahiti vanilla it is said 
_L. van Itallie, M. Kerbosch and A. P. Olivier*) report on the estimation of water in — 
_ drugs. Generally, the water content is found by ascertaining the loss of a substance : 
ae weight by drying in a drying cupboard. However, if there are also other volatile © 
components, there is a great danger that they may likewise evaporate. This is the case 
with the drugs containing essential oils, when it becomes necessary to determine the 
: 
- 
4 
- that Busse “presumes” in it 0.16 to 0.073 per cent. of piperonal. 
=> ea ‘ : 
; 
_ water as such, in order to arrive at correct figures. This is possible with a distillation 
3 method, according to which the substance under examination is distilled with liquid 
paraffin, toluene, xylene or light petroleum and the separating water, measured. The 
_ authors have not obtained satisfactory results with the carbide method, according to 
a which the quantity of acetylene is measured, which is evolved on bringing the drug 
_ together with calcium carbide. 
: For some drugs, the contents of water and of essential oil were determined before 
and after drying. The determination of the content of essential oil was carried out as 
_ recommended by Beckmann and Danckwortt*), when the depression of an extract of | 
_ the drug, made by means of ethylene bromide is compared with the depression of a 
similar extract, made after the drug had been deprived of its essential oil by steam 
distillation. The difference corresponds to the depression due to the essential oil, the — 
_- percentage of which can then easily be calculated. The content of water was established 
. after drying the drug: 1. at 50°, 2. at 50° and then at -103 to 105°, 3. at once at 103 to 
— 105°, 4, in the sulphuric acid desiccator, 5. in the evacuated sulphuric acid desiccator 
j and finally, by distillation with liquid paraffin, toluene, xylene and light petroleum. If 
_ liquid paraffin be used, its high b. p. disturbs in that water is split off from the drug 
_ at that temperature, so that the value found is too high. The differences found for 
cinnamon according to the cryoscopic method were too. small to permit of ascertaining 
_ the content of essential oil. When black pepper is distilled, piperidin and ammonia 
are evolved, as is well known. ~ 
7 The distillation method gives the best results if xylene and toluene are used; with 
; light petroleum, the figures are too low; with paraffin, as stated before, too high. 
‘ 
~“ 
1) Arheiten a. d. Kaiserl. Ges. Amt. 15 (1898/99), 107. — *) Wallach-Festschrift, page 649, Gottingue, 
1909; Report October 1909, 142, — 3) Pharm. Weekblad 52 ‘(1915),. 205. — 4) Arch. der Pharm. 245 (1907), —. 
_ 211; Reports October 1906, 104; October 1907, 114. 
