1 62  Some  Notes  on  Essential  Oils.  {AmAP%^3arm' 
erated  by  simply  diluting  with  water.  By  concentrating  the  phos- 
phoric acid  again  to  the  proper  consistency,  it  may  be  used  again 
for  the  same  purpose.  Merck  &  Co.  have  patented  a  process  which 
depends  on  the  use  of  arsenic  acid  for  the  same  purpose  and  used 
in  the  same  way.  This  latter  process  is  said  to  be  more  economical 
in  that  the  resulting  solution  of  arsenic  acid  may  be  concentrated 
in  ordinary  porcelain  vessels. 
Oil  of  Juniper  Berries — Reports  from  the  districts  producing 
this  oil  are  uniformly  unfavorable  and  prices  are  likely  to  be  con- 
siderably higher.  The  source  of  this  oil,  or  of  the  berries,  appears 
to  be  centred  in  Hungary  and  Italy.  By  far  the  greater  amount  of 
the  available  supply  of  oil  of  juniper  berries  is  said  to  be  obtained 
as  a  by-product  in  the  preparation  of  juniper  brandy  in  Hungary m 
The  reason  why  these  two  southern  countries  supply  the  bulk  of  the 
available  oil  and  berries  is  probably  due  to  the  fact  related  by  Gilde- 
meister  and  Hoffmann,  that  "  the  berries  of  northern  countries  are 
comparatively  poor  in  oil,  the  Swedish  berries  containing  as  little  as 
0*5  per  cent.,  while  the  southern,  particularly  the  Italian,  usually 
^ive  upward  of  I  or  1-5  per  cent,  of  oil. 
Oil  of  Lavender  Flowers — This  is  another  oil,  the  price  of 
which  appears  to  have  an  upward  tendency,  owing  to  the  unfavor- 
able reports  of  the  chief  producing  districts. 
There  appears  to  be  a  considerable  difference  of  opinion  among 
experts  in  essential  oils  as  to  the  value  of  the  ester-content  test  for 
lavender.  E.  Parry  {Chemist  and  Druggist,  1902,  page  168)  argues 
that  while  tests  for  ester  content  are  of  value  they  are  not  neces- 
sarily an  index  of  the  quality  or  value  of  an  oil  of  lavender  from 
the  perfumer's  point  of  view. 
This  statement  is  vigorously  attacked  by  Schimmel  &  Co.  in  their 
November  report.  They  do,  however,  admit  that  the  odor  test  is  of 
considerable  importance,  and  will  always  retain  its  place  with  any 
possible  chemical  tests. 
In  this  connection  it  may  be  of  interest  to  note  that  Schimmel  & 
Co.  in  their  April  report  say  that  a  sample  of  oil  of  lavender  that 
came  under  their  observation  contained  1-5  per  cent,  of  benzoic  acid. 
J.  E.  Weber,  of  Cincinnati,  reports  (Chem.  Zeitung,  1902,  page  875) 
finding  1  per  cent,  of  salicylic  acid  in  oil  of  lavender.  Both  of  the 
adulterants  had  been  added  to  increase  the  apparent  ester  number 
of  the  respective  oils. 
