| “AND SCIENTIFIC NOTES ‘ON ESSENTIAL OILS. whe taie Yi 
"Lavender Oil. — This important oil also remains continually at a high figure, 
a to which | the consumers have not yet been able to accustom themselves. The hopes 
PS cherished shortly before the commencement of the new harvests, that the prices of 
200 to 225 francs per kilo would sink have unfortunately been shattered by the results 
of this year’s distillations. In consequence of greater dryness the work started a few 
weeks earlier than usual, and although a favourable result was predicted, extra- 
ordinarily high prices were asked for the flowers by the collectors. Only at the com- 
mencement was one satisfied with 45 francs, then prices were raised to 100 francs 
and here and-there even to 120 francs per kilos. For these reasons it is clear that 
_ the prices of lavender oil with a high ester content, were fixed at a correspondingly 
_ high figure; and it is not surprising when as much as 300 francs per kilo were 
demanded for such qualities. No change in the position intervened in the markets at 
Digne, Sault and Apt, so that the turnover was small. The distillers are said to have. 
made much money during the past year and are therefore not obliged to dispose of 
their products as quickly as possible. According to the opinion of our adviser, the 
further course of the prices depends most of all on the position which U.S. A. will 
adopt towards the new prices, when the European consumers. still persevere in their 
natural policy of holding back. We learn however that very little desire to satisfy 
the demands is detected over there, since it has become known that an organisation 
of lavender oil distillers by means of wall placards in Grasse have published their 
resolution not to sell under 310 francs per kilo, since the harvest has been poor, the 
prices of blossoms very high, and the yield of oil very bad.’ An American firm*) has 
taken objection to this resolution in a circular directed to the American perfumers, 
in which it states that at the rate of exchange prevailing, the price for the consumer 
works out at $ 12.35 per lb.; although it has been proved that the harvest is an 
average one, and that Bataan ble supplies from the previous year are still at disposal. 
It will be very interesting to learn, what position other consumers in the United States 
will take up with regard to the matter. 
_ Two lavender oils originating from a factory at Grasse, which were offered to us 
for sale via Switzerland, show us that in Southern France firms even of good repute 
z have recently betaken themselves to the slippery territory of adulteration, for neither 
of the two oils was pure. With the one marked “Fleurs” no special pains had been 
taken in the adulteration, some phthalic ester having been merely added. This made 
the specific gravity too high (diso 0.8974), so that the adulteration was very quickly 
_ noticed. The adulteration of the second sample — “Quintessence douce” — had been 
_ effected much more skilfully, for here was, apart from the insufficient solubility, which 
however might depend on the method of obtaining the oil, there was nothing noticeable 
to remark ve the usual constants; and suspicion was first awakened when determining 
_ the acid value II. The estimation proceeded in the well-known way?) that the acid 
_ value and ester value were first found as usual, then the content of the saponification 
_ flask was evaporated to dryness, and then the residue acidified with sulphuric acid 
_ was subjected to steam distillation. With pure lavender oil almost the whole of the | 
acid present passes over with the steam; and the quantity can be determined by 
titration. The acid value II thus obtained is in the case of lavender oil only slightly 
lower than the saponification value (acid value-+ ester value); up to the present in 
2) Drug. and Chem. Markets Vil, No. ae p. 615. — 7) Cf. Gildemeister and Hoffmann, The Volatile 
Oils, 2°4 ed., vol. Ill p. 72. 
