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COMMERCIAL  OTTO  OR  ATTAR  OF  ROSES. 
Bertagnini's  method  it  was  treated  with  a  concentrated  solution 
of  bisulphite  of  soda,  when  gradually  the  mixture  congealed  to 
a  white  crystalline  mass,  in  consequence  of  the  combination  of 
soda  with  the  aldehyd  of  the  oil.  The  crystals  were  expressed 
from  the  excess  of  the  ?oda  solution,  washed  and  repeatedly 
recrystallized  from  diluted  alcohol,  the  crystalline  scales  were 
of  a  pearly  lustre,  efflorescent  in  the  air,  little  soluble  in  abso- 
lute alcohol  and  ether,  insoluble  in  cold  water,  and  decomposing 
with  water  at  a  boiling  temperature;  they  contained  8-67  percent, 
sodium,  and  are  a  combination  of  cumin-aldehyd  with  bisulphite 
of  soda ;  the  formula  C20  H16  Na  S2  O10  demands  8-52  Na. 
The  expressed  liquid,  which  was  partly  absorbed  by  the  bibu- 
lous paper,  furnished  on  distillation  with  water  about  J  oz.  of  a 
volatile  oily  carbohydrogen,  of  the  smell  of  cymen  from  cumin 
seed  and  distilling  over  at  176°  C.  (349°  F.)  On  treating  this 
colorless  limpid  oil  with  fumigating  sulphuric  acid,  diluting  with 
water,  neutralizing  with  carbonate  of  lead,  filtering  and  evapo- 
rating, scaly  crystals  were  obtained  containing  the  same  amount 
of  lead  as  the  sulphocymenate  of  lead  C20  H13  Pb  S2  06.  From 
the  mother-liquor  the  baryta  salt  was  prepared  containing  the 
per  centage  of  baryta  required  by  the  sulphocymenate  of  baryta 
Cx  H13  Ba  S2  06. 
These  experiments  lead  to  the  conclusion  that  the  carbohydro- 
gen of  the  volatile  oil  of  cicuta  virosa  is  indentical  with  cymen, 
and  the  whole  volatile  oil  of  the  water-hemlock  seed  identical 
with  oil  of  cumin  seed. — Bulletin  de  St.  Petersb.  xvi. — Buck- 
ners  N.  Repert.  1858,  471.  J.  m.  m. 
COMMERCIAL  OTTO  OR  ATTAR  OF  ROSES. 
At  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting,  Edinburg,  Jan.  13th,  Mr. 
Mackay  read  an  interesting  communication  on  the  Commercial 
Otto  or  Attar  of  Roses.  In  the  introductory  part  of  the  paper 
he  glanced  at  the  various  recognized  modes  of  producing  this 
article  in  the  East  Indies,  China,  Persia,  Damascus,  Asia  Minor, 
and  Adrianople.  He  stated  that  although  the  chief  supplies 
both  of  commercial  and  virgin  otto  were  sent  from  Constanti- 
nople and  Smyrna  into  England,  there  was  little  or  none  made 
