> OTHER NoTes ON | ESSENTIAL ‘OU. hh; ied i 
‘He ‘too lays stress upon 
3 eee seeds lose tie. facatiy to germinate after a very short tire). Pater’s publication 
S does not contain any fresh. information and the particulars given regarding the costs 
ee of ‘ooh pala are ee of local: interest. 
3 Oil Gk Sweet Baal. An ol of ee basil obtained in the Seychelles”) (yield 
0.21 per cent.) showed the following properties: dis0 0.962, p30 +0.82°, npao 1.514, 
3 _ acid Vv. 0.8, Sap. V. 2.5, soluble with turbidity in 4 vols. of alcohol 80 percent. Even 
in 10 vols. the solution is not clear. This oil seems to contain anethole and Ul 
ienadicale.. It seems to be of little commercial interest. 
a 
: Bay out. As is known, there exists a Warieey of the true Poe (Pimenta acris, 
Wight et Arnott, Myrtacee; West Indian Bay-tree, “Bois d’ Inde”), smelling of lemon — 
 (Pimenta aeris var. citrifolia; “Bois d’Inde Citronelle’ ’) and yielding an inferior oil. 
- Another variety *) .is known as “Bois d’Inde ‘Anis’, which likewise contains an inferior 
a oil. As the leaves of these two varieties are ered mixted with the genuine material, 
in Dominica, the _ oil obtained there is of less value. The distillers are greatly 
ay Beer ealcnced ‘thereby and incur losses, as in the long run the renown of the 
Dominican Bay oil suffers from this state of affairs... Material from the three plants - 
has been carefully examined at Kew, but it. proved mmpossible to find fe morpho- 
logical criterion for a sure differentiation. | 
bs The occurrence of physiologically different forms, a hich However do not distinguish 
3 themselves at all morphologically, has been observed too with other aromatic plants, 
‘Syaas as the SaBDNOT ace and certain Cymbopogon species. 
a. - oO of Boswellia serrata. On a previous occasion, we discussed a publication *) 
on the oil of Boswellia serrata, with which experiments had been made in the Forest 
Research Institute at Dehra Dun. The following later notice®) emanates apparently 
_ from the same source. The above named Indian Institute carried out investigations - 
_ with regard to the manufacture of turpentine oil, resin and sum from Boswellia serrata, 
4 a tree occurring in great abundance in the district of Kandesh, but which grows. 
_ frequently also in other parts of the country. The yield in gum resin depends upon. 
_ the age of the trees and the way of tapping them. Trees of 30 inches in circumference 
EB yield between. {1/2 to 2+/s Ibs. in the tapping period (December to July). The costs of 
| Production amount to 1d or 4/2d per lb.; in some districts they are still smaller. On 
_-an average, the gum resin yields 8 to 9 per cent. essential oil, 55 to 57 per cent. rosin 
_ and 20 to 23 percent. gum. The technical separation of these three bodies can be 
carried out without any great loss of material and might be developed into a new, 
cape tacit branch of Indian industry. The oil above mentioned (pinene) resembles 
_ the best American and French turpentine oils. It could therefore enter into successful 
' competition with the former, all the more so as its drying capacity is even greater, 
_ though it does not impart to the varnish the same lustre. The rosin would be a good 
3 substitute for American rosin and is fit for being used in varnishes. As to the gum, it is 
- true ‘that it is somewhat inferior to the commercial quality, but would do quite well for 
a 1) Comp. Pater, Pharm. Post 1916; Reports October 1917, 110, October 1918, 101. — %) Bull. Imp. Inst. 16 
(1918), 32; Journ. Soc. chem. Industry 37 (1918), A. 604. — *) Kew Bulletin; Chemist and Druggist 9). (1918), 728. 
% — *) Bull. Imp. Inst. 13 (1915), 351; Report October 1916, 6. — 5) Die Seife 3 (1919), 890. 
