Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  \ 
August,  1887.  J 
Distribution  of  Safrol. 
415 
were,  curiously  enough  known  in  England  a  century  and  a  half  ago. 
As  to  the  constitution  of  safrol  it  has  been  shown  by  Eykman 1  that 
by  means  of  permanganate  of  potassium  it  yields  piperonylic  acid — 
C6H3(°>  CH2)C00H, 
safrol,  therefore,  may  be  represented  by  the  formula — 
C6H3  <q>  CH2 : 
Piperonylic  acid  is  obtained  by  oxidizing  piperonal  (now  known,  in 
perfumery,  under  the  name  of  heliotropin) — 
C6H3(g>  CH2)CH0 
and  Poleck2  thinks  that  he  has  observed  piperonal  among  the  pro- 
ducts of  the  treatment  of  safrol  with  permaganate  of  potassium,  for 
the  action  of  this  salt  on  safrol  is  by  no  means  very  simple,  4  per 
cent,  of  piperonylic  acid  only  having  been  obtained  by  Poleck. 
Sassafras  is  not  the  only  plant  containing  safrol.  In  the  same 
natural  order  viz.,  that  of  Lauracese,  Mespilodaphne  Sassafras, 
Meissner,  a  Brazilian  tree,  has  a  bark  resembling  safrol  in  odor.  The 
same  is  also  well  known  with  regard  to  the  Puchury  nuts,  or  sassafras 
nuts,  the  cotyledons  of  two  Brazilian  species  of  ISectandra,  a  genus  as 
yet  very  imperfectly  known.3 
Again,  the  order  of  Monimiacese,  tribe  Atherospermese,  closely 
allied  to  Lauracese,  would  appear  to  be  provided  with  safrol.  Of  this 
at  least  the  aroma  of  the  Australian  'sassafras  bark"  is  strongly 
suggestive.  This  drug,  which  is  not  seldom  seen  in  the  London 
market,  is  the  bark  of  Atherosperma  moschatum,  Labillardiere,  a  tree 
indigenous  to  Australia  and  Tasmania.  The  bark  of  Doryyhora 
Sassafras  of  New  Caledonia,  likewise  of  the  order  of  Monirniacese — 
Atherospermese,  also  smells  of  sassafras. 
Although  there  can  be  but  little  doubt  as  to  safrol  really  occurring 
1  Eecueil  de  Iravaux  chimiques  des  Pays  Bas,  iv.  (1885),  32,  according  to  the 
u  Referate"  of  the  Berichte  der  Deutschen  Chemischen  Gesellschaft,  Berlin,  1885, 
p.  281. 
2  Berichte  der  D.  Ch.  G.,  1886, 1096. 
3  See  '  Pharmacographia,'  540.  The  statement  found  there  to  the  effect  that 
Oreodaphne  apifera  yields  also  an  oil  of  the  same  odor  is  not  correct,  as  I  was 
informed  in  1881  by  a  kind  note  from  Mr.  Holmes.  "  Aceite  de  Sassafras," 
irom  Nectandra  Cymbarum,  Nees,  probably  contains  safrol. 
