

30 Report of Schimmel 8j Co. April/ October 1917. 



has hitherto remained a mystery to the chemists of the Imperial Institute. Probably 

 the question depends on the manner the product is distilled. 



Doubtless also the Formosan lemongrass oil ("Hyang Bow oil") belongs to the 

 category of those so-called West-Indian lemongrass oils (from Cymbopogon citratus), 

 which are only soluble with difficulty. According to K. Kafuku 1 ), it has the following 

 qualities: d 22 o 0.8829; « D + 0.1° to —0.1°; n D22 . 50 1.4850; acid v. 3.1. It contains 

 66.8 per cent, aldehydes, of which 64 per cent, are citral, and is insoluble in 70, 80 

 and 90 per cent, alcohol, soluble, however, in 1 vol. of absolute alcohol. The terpene 

 fraction boils from 39 to 39.5° (?) and consists of myrcene. 



Nothing is mentioned in the short abstract we have at our disposal about the 

 mother-plant of Formosan lemongrass oil; its qualities, however, lead to the conclusion 

 that it originates from Cymbopogon citratus. 



The presence of myrcene in its composition fully agrees with former observations 

 made with so-called West-Indian lemongrass oil, according to which the first 20 per cent, 

 of this oil have a specific gravity of 0.821 (in distinction to 0.882 in the East-Indian 

 variety), which indicates the presence of an olefinic terpene 2 ). How Kafuku detected 

 the myrcene is not mentioned in the abstract. 



Oil of Liquidambar f ormosana. The genus Liquidambar, belonging to the N. O. 

 Hamamelidacece, numbers four species, of which L. orientdle, Mill, produces the Styrax 

 liquidus of commerce, whereas It. styracifluum is known as the mother-plant of the 

 American storax. A third species, L. formosana, Hance, is not only common on 

 Formosa, but also disseminated throughout the whole of Southern China. K. Kafuku 3 ) 

 relates in reference to it that from the leaves and twigs of the plant he obtained a 

 yield of about 0.05 per cent. It has a light yellowish-green colour and smells of terpene. 

 Constants: d 20 o 0.8655; a D — 3.3°; n D20 o 1.4755; viscosity at 20° 1.69; acid value 0; 

 ester value 5.9; ester value after acetylation 25.2. The oil consists principally of 

 terpenes, of which camphene, «-pinene and dipentene were positively identified 4 ), 

 whereas the presence of ^-pinene and of phellandrene was highly probable. Traces 

 of aldehydes and ketones were also evident which could only be recovered partly 

 from the bisulphite compounds. 



This oil differs entirely from the ordinary storax oil produced from the storax-resin 

 of Liquidambar orientale, Mill. However, in its physical qualities it shows some 

 resemblance to the product distilled from the leaves of the American storax tree 

 (Liquidambar styracifluum, L.) which has the specific gravity of 0.872 at 15° 5 ). 



Massoi Bark Oil 6 ). From New-Guinea Massoi bark we obtained in a test distillation 

 8.2 per cent, of a yellow, aromatic smelling oil; di 5 o 1.0169; « D + 1°45'; n D20 o 1.52535; 

 soluble in 1.2 vols, of 70 percent, alcohol; 85 per cent, consisted of eugenol (melting 

 point Of the benzoyl compound 69°). The non-phenolic compounds had a specific 

 gravity of di 5 o 0.9343 and reminded by their odour of nutmegs and of cardamoms. 

 Safrole which had been detected in the oil of massoi bark from New-Guinea on a 

 previous occasion 7 ) did not appear to be present in this case, the quantity of oil 

 available, however, was so small that it was impossible to say for certain in this case. 



x ) J. Chem. Ind. Tokyo 19 (1916), 403; Journ. Soc. chem. Industry 35 (1916), 865. — 2 ) Gildemeister and 

 Hoffmann, The Volatile Oils, 2" d ed., vol. II, p. 206. — 3 ) J. Chem. Ind. Tokyo 19 (1916), 516; Journ. Soc. chem. 

 Industry 35 (1916), 906. — *) In what manner is not apparent from the abstract. — 5 ) See Gildemeister and 

 Hoffmann, The Volatile Oils, 2 nd ed., vol. II, p. 542. — 6 ) Concerning Massoi bark oil vide Gildemeister and 

 Hoffmann, The Volatile Oils, 2 nd ed., vol. II, p. 489. — Report October 1916, 36. — 7 ) Berkht October 1888, 42. 



