312 
Notes  on  Essential  Oils. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
June,  1889. 
care  and  upon  a  better  basis,  bearing  in  mind  that  the  centre  of  gravity  of 
the  manufacture  of  essential  oils  lies  in  Germany,  and  not  in  England." 
Bay  Oil  (Myroia  acris). — Under  this  heading  the  following  two  recipes  for 
the  preparation  of  "  bay  rum  "  are  given  : 
I. 
Bay  Oil  2  drachms. 
Pimento  Oil   1  drachm. 
Cloves  Oil  ~   10  drops. 
Alcohol  (95  per  cent.)   %  gallon. 
Water  %  gallon. 
Mix  and  allow  to  stand  for  several  days,  then  filter. 
II. 
Bay  Oil    1  ounce. 
Alcohol  (95  per  cent.)  %  gallon. 
Mix  and  allow  to  stand  for  a  fortnight.  Then  add  one  gallon  of  good  Ja- 
maica rum.  The  bay  rum  made  according  to  this  recipe  is  said  to  corres- 
pond with  the  imported  article. 
Betel  Oil. — A  statement  made  in  a  previous  report  to  the  effect  that  the 
essential  oil  of  betel  leaves  contained  eugenol  was  considered  to  be  opposed 
to  a  report  by  Professor  Eykman  upon  the  composition  of  a  sample  of  betel 
oil  examined  by  him ;  a  fresh  investigation  has  therefore  been  made  with 
the  following  result.  The  sample  of  betel  oil  examined  was  a  slightly  brown 
colored  liquid,  sp.  gr.  1*024  at  15°  C.  It  consisted  up  to  about  two-thirds  or 
three-fourths  of  a  phenol,  the  boiling-point  of  which  in  partial  vacuum,  un- 
der a  pressure  of  12  mm.,  lay  at  131-132°  C;  under  ordinary  atmospheric 
pressure  it  underwent  decomposition  on  boiling.  The  specific  gravity  of 
the  phenol  was  1'067  at  15°  C.  Examination  of  the  oxidation  products,  ace- 
tyl compound  and  methyl  ether  showed  that  this  compound  was  not  euge- 
nol, but  an  isomer,  the  composition  of  the  new  compound  and  of  eugenol 
being  represented  as  follows  : 
New  Compound.  Eugenol. 
c6h3[3; 
[4 
C3H5 
OCH 
OH. 
.  [6  IK 
OH  C6H3 
0CH3. 
The  second  constituent  of  betel  oil  boiled  practically  between  250°  and 
275°  C,  had  a  very  agreeable  tea-like  odor,  and  consisted  for  the  greater 
part  of  a  sesquiterpene  (C15H24),  cubebene,  which  is  characterized  by  its 
dihydrochlorate  melting  at  117-118°  C.  This  composition  differs  considera- 
bly from  that  given  by  Professor  Eykman,  but  how  far  the  difference  may 
depend  upon  the  oil  examined  by  Professor  Eykman  having  been  distilled 
from  fresh  leaves,  whilst  that  examined  by  Messrs.  Schimmel  was  distilled 
from  dried  leaves  has  not  been  determined. 
Bergamot  Oil. — Some  question  having  been  raised  recently  as  to  the  natu- 
ral color  of  bergamot  oil,  Messrs.  Schimmel  publish  some  information  on 
the  subject  obtained  from  two  of  the  largest  producers  in  Reggio.  One  of 
them  says  :  "  This  essence  occurs  for  the  most  part  of  a  brown-yellow  color. 
A  certain  quantity  approximates  more  to  green,  but  this  is  an  essence  pre- 
pared only  from  unripe  fruit.    In  commerce  it  seldom  occurs  pure,  since  it 
