— 14 — 
Guadeloupe, has meanwhile also been placed on the market. The 
quality of this oil also shows abnormal properties. Whilst the content 
of phenols (eugenol and chavicol) of normal distillates fluctuates be- 
tween 59 and 65 per cent., two samples of this Guadeloupe oil con- 
tained only 38 and 41 per cent, phenols. The specific gravity of 
the one was 0,934, that of the other 0,926; the optical rotation was 
— 2^46' and 3° 10'; against this, our own distillate has a specific 
gravity of 0,980 and a rotatory power of — 1^48'. We do not 
believe that the two samples mentioned above were adulterated, but 
attribute the dififerences to an irrational method of distillation. 
In place of the so-called extra-strong bay oil which we previously 
kept in stock, we now supply an absolutely terpeneless quality, which 
in respect of its solubility answers still higher requirements than 
the former. 
Cajeput Oil. According to reports from Macassar, the distillation 
in the Moluccas has suffered through severe drought. In various districts 
the plants have been completely destroyed, and only a limited quantity 
of oil has been distilled. Similar conditions have prevailed in the 
Straits Settlements, and as a consequence the values have risen con- 
siderably both in Singapore and in Macassar. As soon as the stocks 
in Holland, amounting at the close of the year to about 2000 bottles, 
have to some extent become depleted, a general increase in the prices, 
of about 30 per cent, will also be bound to take place in Europe. 
Calamus Oil. We have already on a previous occasion referred 
to the results, recently published jointly by Thoms and Beckstroem 2), 
of their work on calamus oil. From these it appeared that asarone, 
which in the proportion of about 7,5 per cent, forms a constituent 
of this oil, has a genetic relation to the aromatic body of the oil. 
The asarone-content also explains the high methyl number, to which 
Benedikt and Griissner^) had already called attention. For, apart 
from minute quantities of eugenol and asarylic aldehyde, calamus oil 
does not contain any compounds with methoxyl-groups. Beckstroem^) 
therefore proposes to make use of the asarone-content, in addition to 
the physical constants, in estimating the value of calamus oil. 
Camphor Oil. Nothing new can be said of this article. We 
hear from Japan that the Camphor Monopoly Bill will again be laid 
before Parliament in the new Session, in May of this year. 
A matter of exceptional interest was the report that a limited 
Company has been formed in New York under the style of ^'The Port 
1) Report October 1902, 15. 
^) Berliner Berichte 35 (1902), 3187 and 3195. 
3) Chemiker-Zeitung 13 (1889), 1088. 
^) Berichte d. deutsch. pharm. Ges. 12 (1902), 266. 
