Schimmel & Co. report that the harvest of damascene apricot ker- 
nels is a small one. In good years the crop amounts to 8.000 bales ; in 
1904 it was 5,500 bales, and in 1905 it will be only 2,000 to 2,500 
bales. — Semi-Ann. Rep., Schimmel & Co., 1905, Oct.-Nov., p. 10. 
OLEUM AUISI. 
Schimmel & Co. discuss the production and the prices of oil of anise 
with some figures on the annual production of anise in Russia. They 
also report that a sample offered as anethol was found to be an in- 
ferior preparation, and did not possess the anethol content of a good 
oil of anise. — Semi-Ann. Rep., Schimmel & Co., 1905, Oct.-Nov., 
pp. 11-12. 
Schimmel & Co. also discuss the production of oil of star anise and 
quote some figures indicating the imports of this oil into Hamburg 
for the years 1903 and 1904. — Ibid ., pp. 65-G6. 
Umney and Bennett point out that — 
The optical rotation should read laevo gyrate up to — 2°, which is in accord- 
ance with our observations based upon the examination of a very large number 
of samples. — Pharm. J. Loud., 1905, v. 21, p. 144. 
Riedel's Berichte points out that the higher limitation of the Ph. 
Germ., IV, on the boiling point of oil of anise, is rather low. The 
variations observed ranged from 232.1° at 725 mm. to 236.3° at 785 
mm. pressure. — Riedel’s Berichte, Berlin, 1905, p. 48. 
OLEUM AURANTII CORTICIS. 
Schimmel & Co. discuss some of the economic problems that are 
involved in the production and marketing of oil of bitter almonds. — 
Semi-Ann. Rep., Schimmel & Co., 1905, Apr.-May, p. 36. 
Umney and Bennett point out that the optical rotation of not less 
than + 95° is perhaps a little higher than necessary; over -j- 92° 
would probably have been a sufficiently stringent test. — Pharm. J., 
Bond., 1905, v. 21, p. 145. 
OLEUM BETULJE. 
Umnev and Bennett point out that while this oil is stated to have 
the same properties as methyl salicylate, no references are made under 
oil of gaultheria to its similarity to 01. Betulse. — Pharm. J., Bond., 
1905, v. 21, p. 145. 
von Soden and Elze have examined the ethereal oil of birch buds, 
and find that it contains (1) a paraffin; (2) an ester not yet investi- 
gated; (3) a primary sesquiterpene alcohol, betulol, which is de- 
scribed. — J. Chem*. Soc., Bond., 1905, v. 88, part 2, p. 451 (from Ber., 
1905, v. 38, pp. 1636-1638). 
