- 84 - 
synthetic sec. butylamine in which the authors did not succeed, but which 
they most probably only overlooked, owing to the use of a not very 
sensitive polarisation apparatus, has meanwhile been accomplished by 
Thome by means of tartaric acid. The butylamine produced by him 
differs somewhat from the d-sec. butylamine obtained by Gadamer 
from spoonwort oil; whereas the latter gave [a]j) = -[-6,42°, Thome 
found -[-7,44°. As d-sec. butyl mustard oil by its constitution and 
reaction-capacity, is suitable for a more detailed study of the depend- 
ency of the rotatory power of optically active bodies on their atom- 
istic structure, the most diverse thio-ureas, and from the latter the 
corresponding ureas, were produced from it, and the specific rotatory 
power of these bodies determined, when no law was observed, which 
in the case of optically active bodies might be applicable without 
exception. 
Urban 1) has further made experiments to prepare spoonwort oil 
and alcohol from the seed of Cochlearia officinalis. After the per- 
centage of d-butyl mustard oil in the spoonwort seed had been ascer- 
tained by the method indicated by Gadamer 2), to be 0,485 to 0,492^/0, 
4,5 kilos seed were crushed and freed from fatty oil by pressing. Un- 
fortunately, the seed was left in this condition for about 4 weeks 
before it was further w^orked up; in the meantime, the content of 
essential oil had diminished to 0,25 ^q. The practical yield remained 
still far behind this percentage. 
The identity of the essential oil obtained from the seed of Cochlearia 
officinalis with that obtained from the herb, was proved by conversion 
of the oil into butyl thio-urea (melting point 137°). 
The production of spoonwort alcohol from the seed instead of from 
the herb would be in so far advantageous, as the seed, at the same 
price as the dried herb, gives a higher yield of oil, and keeps deci- 
dedly better. The Pharmacopoeia requires a spoonwort alcohol with 
a content of mustard oil of 0,06 to 0,07 ^/q, which can only be 
reached if the crude material contains 0,3 to 0,35 mustard oil. 
Urban obtained a distillate answering the requirements of the German 
Pharmacopoeia by distilling off 1,5 kilo from a mixture of 200 gm. 
powdered spoonwort seed freed from fatty oil, 50 grams ground white 
mustard, 3000 gm. water, and 11 25 gm. alcohol (90^0)- 
Star^anise Oil. In this article, whicli had been neglected for 
years, business has suddenly become brisk, in consequence of which 
the prices were driven up, within the space of two months, from the 
lowest level of 4/3 to 5/3. Reports from China do not mention the 
cause of this advance of about 20 ^/q, but it may be taken for granted 
^) Archiv der Pharm. 241 (1903), 691. 
2) Archiv der Pharm. 237 (1899), 372. 
