Scientific and other notes on essential oils. 61 



compounds during the action of the diuretic, experiments were made with it on 

 patients suffering from defective discharge of urine, which lead to very good results; 

 in fact, in almost all cases a notable increase of the urine discharged during 24 hours 

 was observable. The treatment consisted of a dose of a hot infusion of 20 g. of spike 

 flowers in 200 g. of water. 



Summer Savory Oil. We may mention owing to its rarity a few particulars 

 concerning a distillate of summer savory oil which we obtained, although the examination 

 only included that of the sp. gravity and of the solubility. The colour was brown, it 

 smelt of thyme and deposited crystals (paraffin?) already at ordinary temperature. The 

 specific gravity was 0.9582 at 20°, the solubility was, apparently owing to the paraffin 

 content, very bad, as even 10 vol. of 80 per cent, alcohol produced no clear solution. 

 The oil-yield from the fresh herb was 0.09 per cent. 



Tea Oil. Tea oil contains according to P. van Romburgh 1 ) besides methyl 

 salicylate a liquid boiling between 153 and 154° (740 mm.) and having a penetrating 

 odour of fusel oil, reminding of the smell of tea. J. J. B. Deuss 2 ) arrived at the same 

 conclusion in the course of an examination of tea. This oil, obtained by distillation 

 with the aid of steam, is yellow and has a strong smell of tea. On distillation in vacuo 

 the oil is produced in a colourless state and can be divided by fractionation into 

 two parts, of which the main portion boils at 156° and smells of tea, whereas the 

 higher-boiling fraction passes over at 220° and consists of methyl salicylate. 



Thyme Oil. Concerning the testing of the oil of thyme according to the German 

 Pharmacopoeia, 5 th ed., vide page 86 of this Report. 



Turpentine Oil. A most fraudulently adulterated oil of turpentine was sent us 

 via Hamburg. The adulteration was proved not only by the smell, but particularly by 

 the much too low specific gravity and also by its quite abnormal boiling characteristics, 

 whereas the other constants shov/ed nothing remarkable, with the only exception that 

 the solubility was not all one could wish: di 50 0.832; « D -|— 3 ° 18'; acid value 1.9; ester 

 value 7.5; soluble in about 10 vols, of 90 percent, alcohol. Boiling characteristics, 

 when distilled from a Ladenburg flask (745 mm.): — 



1. 142 to 150° .... 6.0 percent. 



. . . 9.4 



... 7.6 



. . . .30.0 



. . . 1.56 



... 9.4 



. . . 22.0 



Considering that pure oil of turpentine has at 15° a specific gravity from 0.860 

 to 0.877 and that it passes over on distillation almost completely between 155 and 

 170°, the figures mentioned above give a fairly accurate idea of the extent of the 

 adulteration. This is especially evident from the boiling characteristics, as only 

 37.6 percent, passed over at the above-mentioned range of temperature. 



2. 



150 „ 155° 



3. 



155 „ 160° 



4. 



160 „ 170° 



5. 



170 „ 180° 



6. 



180 „ 190° 



7. 



beyond 190° 



x ) Comp. Gildemeister und Hoffmann, Die atherisehen Ole, 2 nd ed., vol. Ill, 173. — a ) Chem. Weekblad li 

 (1916), 692; Chem. Zentralbl. 1916, II. 588. 



