Notes on scientific research. Ill 



/ 



Some little known essential oils. — In an article, published under this heading in 

 the Perfumery and Essential Oil Record (7 [1916], 339), there is a description of 

 about 28 little known essential oils, an in itself praiseworthy undertaking, as such pro- 

 ducts get known in this way to a large number of readers. The whole matter changes 

 its aspect, however, when it results that the description of all the oils in question is 

 nothing but a translation of the corresponding parts of the second edition of Gilde- 

 meister's book Die atherischen Ole (The Volatile Oils). 



A. Binz 1 ), who critically discussed the article, expresses his opinion as follows: 

 "Luck and ability are required for literary theft, as for all similar transgressions of the 

 rights of other people. Otherwise one runs the risk of being found out and accused. 

 The judgment may be left to the reader". 



He reproduces the English text and the description from Gildemeister's book re- 

 lating to some of the oils, and it results from the comparison that the former has 

 been taken from the latter word for word, only various passages having been shortened, 

 without mentioning the sources. 



As Binz further mentions, all other publications are quoted, except our Reports. 

 In one isolated case only (quipita wood oil), where the name of Schimmel 8} Co. 

 occurred in the text, it has not been eliminated, apparently by oversight! 



Reports on the progress of the chemistry of essential oils and aromatics for the 

 period from August 1915 to July 1916 and the years 1914 to 1916 have been published 

 by A. Reclaire 2 ). 



Artificial aromatics from tar products. — A. Reclaire 3 ) reports on coal tar and its 

 relations to artificial aromatics, discussing in short the preparation of the most impor- 

 tant aromatics from coal tar and the occurrence of some aromatics or of their raw 

 materials in said product. 



Analytical Notes. 



Determination of volatile oils contained in liqueurs. — According to the French Bill 

 Ribot, liqueurs are not allowed to have a greater volatile oil content than 0.5 g. per litre. 

 In consequence, a number of French chemists have published particulars concerning 

 the determination of volatile oils in liqueurs which we have repeatedly referred to in 

 our Reports, and at the present moment several such publications have come to hand. 

 C. F. Muttelet 4 ) declares that the only method for making such determinations quite 

 accurately is the one which he already worked out some time ago by means of isolating 

 and weighing 5 ), in the case of the volatile oils in peppermint liqueur, because the deter- 

 mination of the iodine value, owing to the circumstance that only peppermint oil, but 

 not menthol, which is frequently added for flavouring purposes, possesses a iodine 

 number. He further mentions the determination of volatile oils in anisette, curacao, 

 kummel, benedictine, chartreuse and bitter liqueurs. In the case of strongly aromatized 

 liqueurs, in which the distillate contains volatile oil which has remained undissolved, 

 the latter cannot be used at the same time for determining the alcohol and oil contents, 

 on the contrary both determinations must be performed with different distillates. For 

 the purpose of determining the oil content, 100 cc. of the liqueur are diluted in a 



J ) Deutsche Parf.-Ztg. 3 (1917), 14. — 2 ) Zeitschr. f. angeiv. Chem. 29 (1916), I. 353. — Chem. Ztg. 10 

 (1916), 977. — 3 ) Deutsche Parf.-Zlg. 3 (1917), 77. — ■*) Ann. des Falsifications 9 (1916), 70, 134; Chem. 

 Zentralll. 1916, II. 850. — 3 ) Ann. de Chirn. analyt. 21 (1916), 50; Report October 1916, SS, 89. 



