434 
Obituaries. 
{Am.  Jour.  Pbarm 
\  September,  1907. 
forms  a  clear  solution  with  iy2  times  its  vol.  90  per  cent,  alcohol,  but 
is  practically  insoluble  in  80  per  cent,  alcohol.  On  fractional  dis- 
tillation at  3  5  mm.  pressure  it  was  found  that,  apart  from  a  small 
quantity  first  runnings  with  a  terpene-like  odor,  and  an  equally 
unimportant  residue,  the  oil  boiled  almost  uniformly.  We  obtained 
three  fractions  with  the  following  properties : 
Per  Cent. 
1.  40  to  1040      5-6  d15°  0-9680       aD  -f  10°  40' 
2.  1040         51-8  d15°  0-9825       aD  +    i°  35' 
3.  104  to  1050    28-0  d15°  0-9848       aD  -f    30  5' 
residue  :  15-9 
When  once  more  distilled  over  metallic  sodium,  the  bulk  was 
obtained  almost  unchanged  with  the  following  constants:  b.  p.  237 
to  2380  (750  mm.  pressure),  d15°  0-9891  ;  aD  -f  0°  40' ;  miscible  in 
every  proportion  with  90  per  cent,  alcohol. 
An  attempt  to  arrive  by  means  of  potassium  permanganate  at  an 
oxidation  product  led  to  an  acid,  readily  soluble  in  alcohol  and 
ether,  but  with  difficulty  in  water,  which,  after  repeated  recrystalli- 
zation  from  aqueous  alcohol,  melted  at  93 °.  But  even  at  the  tem- 
perature of  the  water-bath,  only  about  25  per  cent,  of  the  oil  could 
be  oxidized,  whilst  75  per  cent,  remained  behind  almost  unchanged. 
The  results  show  that  the  oil  consists  chiefly  of  a  uniform  body. 
Oil  of  Mentha  rotundifolia  L.  A  small  sample  of  oil  from 
Mentha  rotundifolia  L.,  which  was  sent  to  us  from  Algeria,  had  a 
dark  orange-yellow  color  and  a  musty,  faint,  somewhat  pungent 
odor,  which  distantly  resembled  the  odor  of  spearmint  oil.  The 
constants  were  as  follows  :  d15°  0-9777  ;  aD  —  370  30' ;  acid  No.  1-5  ; 
ester  No.  71*2;  ester  No.  after  acetylation  209.  The  oil  was  miscible 
in  all  proportions  with  90  per  cent,  alcohol  and  dissolved  in  I  vol. 
80  per  cent,  alcohol.  On  dilution,  strong  cloudiness  and  separation 
of  small  oil  drops  occurred  immediately. 
OBITUARIES. 
Within  the  last  six  months,  Science  has  lost  by  death  some  five 
or  six  of  its  most  distinguished  representatives  in  the  persons  of 
eminent  European  chemists.  Of  these  several  are  represented  on 
our  list  of  Honorary  Members,  and  a  brief  notice  of  several  of  them 
may  therefore  be  of  interest. 
