Scientific and other notes on essential oils. 15 



The Formosan citronella oil which K. Kafuku 1 ) distilled from a grass probably 

 identical with "Indian geranium" 2 ), shows the same qualities as the Javanese citronella 

 oil from Cymbopogon Winterianus, Jowitt, viz., di 7 o 0.8868; « D 24°24' (the direction of 

 rotation is not stated); n D17 o 1.4700. It contains 84.97 percent, total geraniol (namely 

 38.98 per cent, citronellol and 37.23 per cent, geraniol, determined by the phthalic 

 anhydride method) and dissolves in all proportions in 90 per cent, alcohol, in 0.9 vol. 

 of 80 percent, and in 4.6 vol. of 70 percent, alcohol. 



Clove Oil. According to official communications 3 ) the deliveries of cloves in 

 Zanzibar and Pemba for the periods from July 1 st , 1914 to June 30 th , 1915 and from 

 July 1 st , 1915 to March 31 st , 1916 were as follows: — 



1914/1915 1915/1916 



Zanzibar. . . 6752127 lbs. 4 692341 lbs. 

 Pemba . . . 11598611 „ 22101104 „ 

 total: 18350738 lbs. 26793445 lbs. 



For the last quarter of this season, 580000 lbs. to 750000 lbs. (?) are still to be 

 expected. The price of the cloves has in no way been influenced by the war. The 

 low level of the prices in the beginning of the year is rather due to the prospective 

 abundant crop than to the state of war. 



It appears that at present in Switzerland the market for oil of cloves is overrun 

 with indifferent products, as out of 4 samples we received from that country for 

 examination no less than 3 were objectionable. In each of these 3 cases it was a 

 question of products whose eugenol content had been removed in part, or, what 

 comes to the same, had been mixed with residues from the manufacture of eugenol from 

 oil of cloves. The samples struck at once by their slight smell, and not even one 

 of their constants was able to meet the usual requirements, as is apparent from the 

 comparative data given below. The specific gravities were too low, the rotation figures 

 too high and their solubility and eugenol content unsatisfactory. 



Limits of a good 

 trade product. Sample I 



d 15 o 1.043 to 1.068 0.9982 



« D left, up to — 1° 35' — 2°47' 



Eugenol-content, per cent. . . not below 80 64 



Soluble in 70 per cent, alcohol: soluble in 1 to 2 vols, insoluble insoluble insoluble. 



Even with 80 per cent, alcohol the oils in question only gave clear solutions in con- 

 centrations averaging 1:1; on further addition of alcohol, the solutions became turbid. 

 The examples cited above may suffice as a warning to be careful in buying oil of cloves. 



On the substitution of oil of cloves by methyl benzoate in microscopy see page 91 

 of this Report 



Oil of Cnidium officinale. In Japan the umbellifera, Cnidium officinale, Makino 

 occurs whose roots Chinese, Japanese and Corean doctors often employ for various 



II 



m 



0.9988 



1.0224 



— 2° 56' 



— 1°43' 



65 



70 



x ) /. Chem. Ind. Tokyo 19 (1916), 411; Journ. Soc. chem. Industry 35 (1916), 865. — x ) The usual term 

 for "Indian Geranium oil" is palmarosa oil. — 3 ) Chemist and Druggist 88 (1916), 953. 



