— 45 — 
Oxidation of the ketone with chromic acid was once more carried 
out, and yielded again caproic acid of the boiling point 203^ to 206^, 
from which it might be concluded that the amyl group is normally 
constituted. As synthetic ethyl-n-amyl ketone is a body difficult of 
access, we have for the present desisted from a comparison between 
it and the ketone isolated from lavender oil. 
We will, however, return to this subject at a favourable opportunity, 
and hope to be able by some shorter process to clear up the con- 
stitution of the ketone completely. 
Analysis of the silver salt: 
0,2523 g of the substance yielded 0,1109 g HgO and 0,2962 g COg 
0,2463 „ „ „ „ left behind 0,1193 g Ag. 
Found: Calculated for CgH-^^AgOg: 
C = 32,02 per cent. 32,29 per cent. 
H = 4,88 „ „ 4,93 „ 
Ag = 48,44 „ „ 48,43 ., 
The fractions from which after oxidation with potassium perman- 
ganate the above-mentioned ketone was isolated, appeared also to contain 
also esters. For example, a fraction of the boiling point 155° to 162° 
showed the saponification number 134,8; another boiling at 162° to 
172°, the number 84,2. The quantity of the silver salt of the acid 
isolated from the alkaline liquors was not sufficient for an analysis. 
The neutral products of saponification appeared to contain (judged by 
the odour) isoamyl alcohol. We will return later on to these examinations. 
We may mention incidentally, that in the fraction amounting to 
several kilos of the first runnings of lavender oil, which corresponded 
to the boiling point of furfurol, we succeeded in detecting this alde- 
hyde by the reaction with the solution of aniline hydrochloride in aniline. 
Lemongrass Oil. The value of this article unfortunately appears 
to remain at its present exceedingly high level; it should prove highly 
remunerative to the manufacturers on the Malabar coast, if it is taken 
into consideration that the former normal price was less by half than 
what it is now. 
The export again shows a large increase. It was: — 
from July i^^ 1902 to June 30^^ 1903 2807 dozen bottles 
against „ i^^ 1901 „ 30^^ 1902 2322 „ „ 
„ 1900 „ „ 30^^ 1901 1933 
„ „ 30*^ 1900 2792 
^) In our last Report in our notes on lavender oil we erroneously gave the 
boiling point of the synthetic ethyl amyl ketone as 164° to 166°. According to 
Ponzio de Caspari (Gazz. chim. ital. 28 II. (1898), 273, ethyl amyl ketone boils 
at 169'^ to 170^ (737,8 mm pressure). Our observation of the boiling point therefore 
agrees with this statement. 
