Amwo£'im™'}    ?ure  and  Adulterated  Oil  of  Cassia.  579 
age  of  non-aldehydes  after  separating  the  cinnamic  aldehyde  by  bisul- 
phite of  sodium.  This  operation  requires  the  observance  of  different 
precautionary  measures  in  order  to  obtain  exact  results  and  cannot  be 
executed  by  persons  unfamiliar  with  chemical  practice. 
The  results  show,  that  every  adulteration  diminishes  the  amount  of 
aldehydes.  As  to  the  normal  amount  of  the  aldehydes  in  cassia  oil, 
the  matter,  up  to  the  present,  has  not  been  sufficiently  investigated. 
AVe  can  only  say,  that  an  oil,  containing  less  than  70  per  cent,  of 
aldehydes,  has  to  be  considered  as  adulterated  and  that,  probably,  an 
oil  with  less  than  75  per  cent,  of  aldehydes  can  be  looked  at  as  sus- 
picious.   Further  experiences  will  clear  up  this  matter  shortly. 
In  earlier  years  cassia  oil  was  adulterated  too,  and  especially  with 
fixed  oils,  but  pure  cassia  oil  prevailed  in  trade  and  the  adulteration 
was  carried  on  in  rather  moderate  limits.  Different  kinds  of  old  oil 
examined  by  us,  gave  the  following  results  : — 
13.  Cassia  oil  brand  ayong,     age  9  years,    79  p.  ct.  of  cinnamic  aldehyde. 
14.  u      "      "        "  "  unknown,  70    "     "        "  " 
15.  "      "      "     hemkee,   "        "        73   "  " 
Xo.  13  left  a  liquid  residue  from  which  we  isolated  fatty  oil  to  the 
amount  of  10  per  cent.  This  oil  would  have  shown,  before  the  adul- 
teration, about  90  per  cent,  of  cinnamic  aldehyde. 
We  are  occupied  with  a  thorough  investigation  of  pure  cassia  oils 
and  have  stated  that  the  chief  constituents  of  the  non-aldehydes  of 
cassia  oil  is  the  acetic  ether  of  cinnamyl,  C2H302 — C9ET9.  In  sub- 
mitting the  non-aldehydes  to  a  repeated  fractional  distillation  in 
vacuo,  we  found  the  fraction  boiling  at  135° — 145°  (at  11  mm. 
atmospheric  pressure)  to  be  entirely  the  above-named  ether.  The 
cinnamic  alcohol,  obtained  by  saponification,  crystallizes  from  ether 
in  white  solid  crystals,  boils  at  137°  (at  11  mm.  atmospheric  pressure) 
and  shows  a  somewhat  hyacinth-like  odor. 
Besides  this  ether — if  a  conclusion  from  its  boiling  point  and  the 
alcohol  obtained  is  allowed — the  presence  of  acetic  ether  of  phenyl- 
propyl  is  very  probable. 
Terpenes  of  the  constitution  C10H16  are  excluded.  The  presence  of 
sesquiterpenes  or  polyterpenes  is  only  presumed  and  requires  further 
confirmation. 
Free  cinnamic  acid,  formed  by  oxydation  of  the  cinnamic  aldehyde, 
when  in  contact  with  the  open  air,  was  found  in  both,  the  old  and  the 
fresh  distilled  oils,  but  always  in  very  small  proportions. 
