340 
Laboratory  Notes. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
July,  1898. 
and  lactophenin  as  well  as  to  phenacetin,  and  has  the  great  advan- 
tage over  all  other  tests  proposed  for  such  adulterations,  that  it 
enables,  at  least,  the  partial  recovery  of  the  adulterant. 
Careful  experiments  made  with  other  synthetical  remedies  may 
result  in  notably  increasing  this  list  of  volatile  substances. 
LABORATORY  NOTES. 
By  Chas.  H.  La  Wau  and  Robt.  C.  PuRSEiv. 
OIL  OF  SASSAFRAS. 
The  large  quantity  of  this  oil  which  is  required  by  soap  manufac- 
turers and  the  liability  of  its  adulteration  make  this  substance  of 
frequent  occurrence  in  the  analytical  departments. 
As  the  boiling-point  covers  a  considerable  range  of  temperature, 
the  specific  gravity,  general  appearance  and  odor  are  all  taken  into 
consideration  in  deciding  upon  the  quality  of  a  sample  offered  for 
examination. 
Safrol,  which  at  one  time  was  used  as  an  adulterant,  is  now  higher 
in  price  than  the  oil. 
It  normally  constitutes  about  nine-tenths  of  the  weight  of  the  oil 
according  to  the  U.  S.  Dispensatory,  and  has  a  specific  gravity  of 
I-I08,  while  the  specific  gravity  of  oil  of  sassafras  varies  between 
the  limits  of  1-07  and  1-09. 
Oil  which  is  lighter  than  I  07  is  looked  upon  with  suspicion  by 
the  consumer,  as  it  might  indicate  adulteration  with  the  fractionated 
camphor  oil,  which  is  used  for  the  purpose. 
Some  of  the  consumers  also  dislike  the  crystals  of  safrol  which 
almost  invariably  separate  out  of  oil  of  sassafras  in  cold  weather, 
so  it  is  very  hard  to  suit  them,  the  idea  being  that  oil  of  a  certain 
intermediate  specific  gravity  is  of  greater  perfuming  power  than 
either  pure  safrol- or  very  light  oil. 
The  distiller  of  the  oil  has  very  little  scientific  knowledge,  his 
work  being  done  empirically.  The  oil  is  usually  received  in  five- 
gallon  cans  from  the  distiller  ;  occasionally  a  consignment  is  noticed 
which  has  some  cans  of  low  specific  gravity  and  others  high.  This 
is  not  necessarily  attributable  to  adulteration,  as  it  often  comes 
from  a  distiller  of  good  reputation.  It  is  probably  due  to  hav- 
ing the  oil  stored  during  cold  weather,  the  safrol  separating  and 
settling  to  the  bottom.    When  redissolved  by  warming,  it  does  not 
