302 
Notes  on  Essential  Oils. 
Am.. Tour.  Fharm. 
June,  1891. 
(vol. )  alcohol  which  are  not  rendered  turbid  by  further  addition  of  alcohol  of 
same  strength.  Neither  sweet  orange  oil  nor  lemon  oil  form  clear  solutions 
under  the  same  conditions.  Adulteration  with  oil  of  turpentine  is  rare  and  can 
be  mostly  detected  by  smell  alone.  Oil  so  admixed  has  also  a  lower  sp.  gr. 
and  yields  abnormally  large  proportions  of  low  (1600  C.)  boiling  fractions 
(Pinene).  Additions  of  fatty  oils  are  recognized  by  the  higher  specific  gravity 
of  the  specimens  and  by  the  residue  which  they  leave  when  volatilized  at 
ioo°  C.  Half  a  drachm  evaporated  on  a  watch  glass  at  ioo°  until  the  odor  has 
completely  disappeared  leaves  about  6  per  cent,  of  a  green  homogeneous  oint- 
ment-like residue.  In  case  of  adulteration  with  fat  oils  there  is  an  increased 
residue  with  a  supernatant  oily  yellow  liquid. 
Birch  Tar  Oil. — The  rectified  oil  is  much  weaker  in  aroma  than  the  crude 
and  the  latter  is  recommended  where  the  color  is  not  a  disadvantage.  The 
phenols  contained  in  this  oil,  according  to  Max  Pfrenger  (Archiv  f.  Pharm., 
1890,  p.  713)  consisted  chiefly  of  guaiacol  and  creosol  ;  there  was  also  present  a 
small  proportion  of  cresol,  and  xylenol  and  traces  of  phenol.  The  phenols  are 
the  same  as  exist  in  beech  wood  tar. 
Buchu-leaf  Oil. — Long  buchu  leaves  (Barosma  serratifolia,  Willd.)  gave  1 
per  cent,  of  essential  oil  sp.  gr.  0*944  containing  only  a  small  quantity  of  dios- 
phenol  (buchu-camphor.)  Round  buchu  leaves  (Barosma  betulina,  Bartl.) 
yielded  2  per  cent,  of  oil,  which  even  at  the  normal  temperature  was  quite  filled 
with  crystals  of  diosphenol. 
Citronella  Oil. — The  shipments  from  Colombo  and  Galle  in  1890,  amounted 
to  12,820,315  oz.  Cintronellon,  which  is  found  in  this  oil  and  in  the  essential 
oil  of  the  leaves  of  Eucalyptus  dealbata  and  E.  maculata  has  been  recently 
examined  by  F.  W.  Semmler  (Berichte  der  Deutschen  Chem.  Ges.,xxiv,  209.)  By 
oxidation  with  oxide  of  silver  a  liquid  acid,  citronellic  acid  C10H18O2,  was 
obtained.    This  decides  the  aldehyde  character  of  citronellon. 
Coriander  Oil. — The  oil  contains  about  90  per  cent,  of  coriandrol  C10H18O 
boiling  between  1940  and  1980  C,  optically  dextrogyrate,  sp.  gr.  0*8679  at 
200  C. 
Cubeb  Oil. — The  export  of  cubebs  from  Java  has  enormously  increased.  In 
1889,  the  weight  exported  was  66,840  kilos  against  8,880  kilos  in  1888.  Within 
the  year,  prices  have  fallen  35  to  40  per  cent.  A  note  from  Ceylon  appears 
in  the  Tropical  Agriculturist,  according  to  which  the  plants  in  the  Peradeniya 
Gardens  have  become  quite  acclimated,  and  it  is  hoped  that  it  will  soon  be 
possible  to  place  sufficient  material  at  the  disposal  of  the  intelligent  planters 
of  the  island. 
Eucalyptus  Oil.— The  oil  from  Eucalyptus  oleosa,  an  Australian  species,  is 
stated  to  be  so  extraordinarily  rich  in  Eucalyptol,  that  in  a  freezing  mixture  it 
solidifies  to  a  pasty  mass.  This  new  oil  has  a  sp.  gr.  0*923  at  15*5°  C,  72  per 
cent,  boiling  between  1700  and  1800  C,  and  is  comparatively  free  from  the 
lighter  constituents.    Cumin-aldehyd  is  also  present. 
Kuro-moji  Oil, — An  oil  distilled  from  the  wood  of  Iyindera  sericea  intro- 
duced into  perfumery.  It  is  stated  to  have  a  sp.  gr.  at  180  C.  of  0*901  and 
a  lsevorotatory  power  of  40.  Two  different  terpenes  were  detected  dextro- 
limonene  and  dipentene .  Of  oxygenated  bodies,  terpineol  and  lsevo-carvol 
were  found. 
