22 
According to this author the saponification of 500 grams of oil, at 
ordinary temperature, produced 190 grams crude acid; of this 90 grams 
were angelic acid, 25 grams isobutyric acid, and considerable quantities 
polymerised methacrylic acid which remained as a residue, in the form 
of a colourless powder, on distillation of the acids. The neutral products 
of the saponification formed 25 grams isoamyl alcohol, 80 grams active 
hexyl alcohol, 33 grams anthemol, and (contrary to Koebig's^) ob- 
servations, who believed to have recognised isobutyl alcohol as a con- 
stituent of the oil) 30 grams normal butyl alcohol. The latter was 
identified by the boiling point, and by its phenyl urethane melting at 
55° to 56°. 
Cinnamon Oil, Ceylon. The value of this important article 
has undergone a sharp decline since cinnamon-chips have been offered 
at prices which have never been known before. This appears to be 
due to continuous overproduction, of which the effect is still increased 
by the fact that large parcels are shipped to Europe and are finally 
sold there at absurd prices. It is not believed that this state of affairs 
can continue for any length of time, as cinnamon is an article beloved 
by speculators, and it may therefore not be out of place to make use 
of the present cheap prices in order to secure the requirements for 
a long time to come. The following statistics of the prices of the 
oil may be given in support of the above advice: — 
Value 
on 
October i^* 
1894 
58 marks per kilo 
J) 
J7 
1895 
70 
)J 
55 55 
j> 
JJ 
J st 
1896 
70 
)) 
55 >5 
5) 
J> 
J st 
1897 
75 
5) 
5 5 55 
)> 
)? 
I'' 
1898 
72 
)» 
5 5 5 5 
>> 
I'' 
1899 
76 
55 
55 5 5 
?> 
)? 
I'' 
1900 
76 
55 
5 5 5 5 
?> 
J> 
I"' 
1 90 1 
68 
55 
5 5 5 5 
JJ 
)) 
I"' 
1902 
62 
55 
5 5 55 
?> 
I"' 
1903 
50 
55 
5 5 5 5 
Years ago, before we first of all commenced the distillation in 
Europe, when only exported oil was met with in commerce, the value 
of the latter was fairly stable, about 300 marks per kilo. Since 1873, 
when we first took up the distillation of Ceylon cinnamon oil, it fluc- 
tuated between 200 and 320 marks, according to the price of the 
raw material. From a product of luxury it has now become one of 
the most important articles of consumption of this branch. 
At these low prices, the artificial Ceylon cinnamon oil (German 
Patent No. 134789) can of course hardly take a prominent place. 
^) Liebigs Annalen 195 (1879), 97- 
