207 



tion not to recede in any particular from thtir action in passing the 

 Bill. 



The Minister, under the circumstances, is unable to recommend that 

 for the present any modification be made to the provisions of the " San 

 Jose Scale Act." 



The Committee of the Privy Council, on the recommendation of the 

 Minister of Agriculture, advise that Your Excellency be pleased to sub- 

 mit an answer, in the sense of this Minute, to His Excellency Her Ma- 

 jesty's Ambassador to the United States. 



All which is respectfully submitted for Your Excellency's approval. 



(Signed) John J. McGthee, 



Clerk of the Privy Council. 



{Ket^ Bulletin.) 



NOTES ON EXTRACT OF GINGER. 



By T. H. W. Idris. 



It is well known that alcoholic extract of ginger, commercially 

 known as gingerine," does not contain all the aromatic principles of 

 the root, as most of the essemtial oil is carried over the recovered 

 alcohol. 



In the course of experiments to produce extract of ginger that would 

 contain the whole of the flavouring and odorous principle, it was found 

 that acetone was the most suitable solvent, boiling as it does at 56° 0. 

 and being miscible with water in all proportions. The apparatus used 

 consists of a modification of a Soxhlet on a manufacturing scale If 

 some powdered ginger be exhausted in a Soxhlet with acetone, and 

 afterwards with alcohol, we find that the whole of the aromatic and 

 pungent principles have been removed by the acetone, showing that it 

 compares favourably with alcohol as a solvent. The acetone extract 

 does not appear to have lost any of its volatile oil in the process of re- 

 covery, as is so markedly the case when using alcohol, while the last trace 

 of acetone is easily removed by agitation with a little water. This ace- 

 tone extract is a dark-brown substance of a treacly consistency, int^- 

 scly pungent and at the same time possessing a full ginger aroma, the 

 quality of which largely depends on the variety of ginger used. 



It is readily soluble in alcohol, forming a deep brown liquid. If 

 steam be passed through the extract and then condensed, it carries 

 over a quantity of the volatile oil with it. This oil floats on the 

 surface of the condensed water, forming a yellow layer, and can be 

 easily removed. The difference in aroma of the various kinds of 

 ginger though noticeable enough when examining the rhizome, is 

 much more apparent when dealing with the oils themselves, and in 

 this way a method of distinguishing the variety of ginger used is 

 obtained. The various tinctures and essences of ginger may be very 

 conveniently and readily prepared from this extract without the usual 

 loss of alcohol, and syrup may be flavoured with it by proper diffusion 

 at a suitable temperature without the use of any spirit, and a further 

 saving may be thus effected in manufacturing ginger-flavoured 

 beverages. — {American Journal of Fharmaey), 



