342 
Laboratory  Notes. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharni. 
July,  1898. 
The  slight  difference,  observed  after  the  length  of  time  the  sample 
had  been  allowed  to  stand,  indicates  that  the  distiller  was  somewhat 
mistaken  in  his  facts.  The  experience  gained  by  his  visit  was  after- 
ward applied  practically  in  the  case  of  a  customer  who  rejected  a  lot 
of  forty-five  cans  as  low  in  specific  gravity. 
A  visit  was  made  to  the  establishment  of  the  buyer  and  a  practi- 
cal demonstration  was  afforded  his  chemist,  as  follows:  A  can  which 
had  not  as  yet  been  tested  by  them  was  opened  and  the  specific 
gravity  taken  of  the  first  that  was  poured  out,  which  was  about 
ro6o.  When  about  half  of  the  entire  contents  had  been  poured 
out,  crystals  of  safrol  began  to  appear.  The  remaining  oil  in  the 
can  was  warmed  to  dissolve  the  safrol,  and  upon  taking  the  specific 
gravity  at  150  C,  it  was  found  to  be  about  1*080. 
The  matter  was,  therefore,  supposed  to  be  settled,  but  a  few  days 
later  another  complaint  was  received  from  the  same  party,  to  the 
effect  that  upon  mixing  the  whole  lot  of  forty-five  cans  the  gravity 
was  still  only  ro6. 
A  second  visit  developed  the  fact  that  the  specific  gravity  had 
been  taken  at  the  temperature  of  the  room  (about  280  C.)  and  not 
at  1 50  C,  which  is  the  authorized  temperature.  A  few  moments 
sufficed  to  chill  a  sufficient  quantity  of  the  oil  to  150  C,  which 
showed  the  specific  gravity  to  be  about  1-071. 
No  further  complaints  were  made. 
The  following  shows  the  maximum,  minimum  and  mean  specific 
gravity  of  all  samples  examined  during  1896,  1897  and  1898,  up  to 
June  1st : 
Maximum.  Minimum.  Mean. 
1896  1*0840  1*0500  1*0654 
1897  1*0850  1*0610  1*0736 
1898   .  1*0830  1*0450  1*0713 
This  represents  an  aggregate  of  about  10,000  pounds  of  the  oil  as 
it  comes  from  the  distiller. 
The  color  varies  from  deep  yellow  to  nearly  colorless,  and  there 
is  a  difference  noticeable  in  the  odor  of  different  lots. 
The  artificial  oil  is  obtainable  in  the  market,  and  very  closely  re- 
sembles the  natural,  so  that  it  is  practically  impossible  to  definitely 
state  whether  an  oil  is  pure  or  not  ;  however,  there  is  a  very  great 
quantity  of  oil  sold  which  is  not  tampered  with  after  leaving  the 
distiller.    The  guarantee  of  its  purity  rests  with  him. 
