52 
Sandalwood  Oil  Requirements. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharru. 
I    February,  1908. 
that  no  definite  relation  exists  between  any  two  of  these  require- 
ments, that  all  four  of  them  vary  widely,  totally  independently  of 
one  another  ;  thus,  an  oil  may  contain  92  per  cent,  santalol  and  yet 
have  specific  gravity  0  963,  be  insoluble  in  5  parts  of  70  per  cent, 
alcohol,  and  have  rotation  of  — 140  (see  sample  IV  under  first 
distillate  in  table  below.) 
The  first  criticism  we  have  to  make  of  the  requirements  is  that  a 
temperature  should  have  been  given  for  determining  the  solubility 
in  70  per  cent,  alcohol.  It  makes  all  the  difference  in  the  world  if 
this  is  determined  at  150,  250  or  300  C.  While  it  is  understood 
perhaps  that  the  temperature  should  be  25 0  C,  this  should  have 
been  stated  just  as  much  as  it  is  stated  for  the  specific  gravity  and 
rotation.  We  think  the  solubility  should  be  taken  at  300  C.  rather 
than  25 0  C,  as  the  latter  temperature  eliminates  about  25  per  cent, 
of  oils  that  should  be  official,  as  they  contain  ample  santalol  and 
are  not  adulterated. 
The  second  ctiticism  is  that  the  angle  of  rotation  in  the  require- 
ments is  too  high  for  the  minimum  limit  and  should  be — 12°  to  — 
20°;  even  then  it  will  exclude  many  unadulterated,  genuine,  pure  oils 
that  are  amply  rich  in  santalol  and  hence  amply  efficient  therepeuti- 
cally  (see  samples  IV  and  V  of  main  distillate  in  table  below.) 
Schimmel  &  Co.1  state  that  they  "  consider  the  optical  rotation  and 
also  the  acid  and  ester  numbers  very  useful  factors  in  judging  the 
oil."  This  is  only  true  if  you  are  looking  for  adulterations,  when 
we  grant  that  they  will  detect  castor  oil,  rosin,  etc.  In  our  opinion, 
it  is  more  important  to  have  your  requirements  so  that  you  do  not 
exclude  pure,  efficient,  genuine  oil  than  have  them  so  that  to  recog- 
nize adulterations  you  forsooth  compel  rejections  of  a  genuine, 
Simon-pure  product,  containing  over  90  per  cent,  of  santalol,  and 
hence  therapeutically  efficient.  Both  W.  J.  Bush  &  Co.2  and  Evans 
Sons,  Loescher  &  Webb3  find  that  the  B.P.  or  U.S.P.  require- 
ments are  so  unjust  that  they  prevent  many  genuine  oils  from  being 
allowed  to  sail  under  the  B.P.  or  U.S.P.  flags,  although  they  are  in 
every  way  genuine  and  efficient.  Bush  &  Co.,  express  themselves 
forcibly  on  this  subject  and  we  agree  with  them  fully — "  It  is  obvious 
that  the  inclusion  in  the  B.P.  of  such  fallacious  standards  as  those  at 
1  Schimmel  &  Co.,  Semi-Annual  Report,  April,  1907,  page  92. 
2  W.  J.  Bush  &  Co.,  Chemist  and  Druggist,  1907,  Vol.  L,XXI,  page  448. 
'6  Analytical  Notes,  February,  1907,  page  28. 
