— 59 — 
fluctuations. The specific gravity varies between 0,8968 and 0,8990, 
the optical rotation between — 8,50°, and — 9,44°. Solubility, viscosity 
and acid number show only very small differences. The saponification 
numbers in the different years fluctuated between 46,9 and 56,7. 
These correspond to a content of esterified alcohol of from 12,3 to I4,8^/q. 
The lowest saponification number after acetylation was 217 (corresponding 
to a content of 7 1,2 8 ^/q of total alcohols); — the highest was 228,2 
(corresponding to a content of 75,6 ^/q). The citronellol-content fluctuates 
between 37,09 and 40,0 ^/q. 
Oil of Geum urbanum. According to examinations byBourquelot 
and Herrisey^), the essential oil of Geum Mrbanum contains eugenol; 
this body, however, does not occur in the plant as such, but is only 
formed by the action of a ferment on a glucoside, when the cut-up fresh 
plant is macerated for twelve hours and then distilled. From an 
alcoholic extract of the root, an odourless aqueous solution can be 
obtained. If to this a ferment is added, the odour of clove oil is 
immediately formed, Emulsin, though, does not produce the odour 
even after two days, nor does yeast from beer destroy the glucoside. 
Oil of Guaiac-wood. The scarcity of this oil has thrown a 
striking light on the important part which it plays in the perfumery 
industry. Meantime sufficient consignments of wood from South America 
came in and we are now again able to meet any demand. 
Hop Oil. Based upon the present prices of hop, the pure dis- 
tillate would come to about 450 marks, a price at which it will not 
be easy to find purchasers. It is to be hoped that the new harvest 
will make it possible to provide a cheap equivalent. 
Jasmine ^^Schimmel & Co." Although the number of jasmine 
oils which are now met with in commerce has grown considerably in 
the course of time, they all (as far as we have tested them) differ so 
considerably in point of quality from our original product, which was 
the first placed on the market, that they cannot be looked upon as 
products competing wdth our oil. 
For this reason we are unable to enter into a competition in prices, 
and in future, as before, we will follow our own way in the composition, 
as well as in the quotation. 
Oil of Laurel leaves. The essential oil of laurel leaves has 
been submitted to an examination by Br. Moll e 2). From the oil diluted 
with ether, he separated, by extraction with 2 ^/q soda solution, free 
acids volatile with water vapour, which were identified, by con- 
version into their silver salts, as acetic acid, isovalerianic acid, and 
^) Journ. pharm. chim. VI. 18 (1903), 369. 
^) On the composition of the essential oil of laurel and the knowledge of its prin- 
cipal constituent, cineol. Inaugural Thesis, Basle. 
