Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
July,  1895. 
Laboratory  Notes. 
373 
OIL  OF  WINTERGREEN. 
Oil  of  wintergreen  is  described  officially  as  a  volatile  oil  distilled 
from  the  leaves  of  Gaultheria  procumbens,  and  although  oil  of 
sweet  birch  and  methyl  salicylate  are  no  doubt  often  substituted  for 
it  in  the  market,  the  difference  is  so  slight  as  scarcely  to  be  detected. 
Following  are  the  characteristics  of  a  number  of  samples  exam- 
ined by  the  writer  since  January  r,  1895  ;  they  were  all  offered  as 
oil  of  wintergreen,  and  there  was  great  uniformity  among  the  samples, 
except  as  regards  color,  which  varied  from  deep  red  to  colorless. 
The  specific  gravity  of  a  number  of  the  samples  was  slightly  higher 
than  is  required  by  the  Pharmacopoeia,  which  specifies  from  1*175 
to  1-185. 
Degree, 
Degree, 
Centigrade. 
Centigrade. 
Specific 
Boiling 
Specific 
Boiling 
Gravity. 
Point. 
Color. 
Gravit3% 
Point. 
Color. 
1  .  .  riSo 
2170 
Dark  red. 
9  • 
.  riS'6 
215° 
Yellow. 
2  .  .    1. 180 
2140 
Light  red. 
10  . 
1*184 
215° 
Yellow. 
3.  .  ri86 
214° 
Colorless. 
<*• 
.  ri86 
216° 
Red. 
4  .  .  1*182 
215° 
Red. 
12. 
.  1-187 
2160 
Light  red. 
5  •  •  i'i8>5 
2160 
Dark  red. 
13  • 
.  1-184 
216° 
Yellow. 
6  .  .  1-185 
215° 
Colorless. 
14  • 
.  1-186 
2160  *, 
Colorless. 
7.  .  1-187 
215° 
Colorless. 
15  • 
.  1-182 
215° 
Yellow. 
8  .  .  1-189 
215° 
Red.  1 
Specific 
Gravity. 
Boiling 
Point. 
Average  of  15  samples    .  . 
215° 
OIL  OF  TURPENTINE. 
Two  different  grades  of  oil  of  turpentine  are  official ;  the  follow- 
ing samples  represent  the  commercial  variety.  They  show  great 
uniformity  in  characteristics,  and  it  is  a  matter  of  especial  note  that 
although  the  samples  represent  several  hundred  barrels  of  turpen- 
tine, there  was  only  one  specimen  which  was  insoluble  in  three 
parts  of  alcohol : 
Degree, 
Solubility  in 
Degree, 
Solubility  in 
Centigrade. 
three 
Centigrade. 
three 
Specific 
Boiling 
parts 
Specific 
Boiling 
parts 
Gravity. 
Point. 
Alcohol. 
Gravity. 
Point. 
Alcohol. 
1  .  .  0*8598 
153° 
Soluble. 
9- 
.  0-8580 
154° 
Soluble. 
2  .  .  0-8578 
1500 
Soluble. 
10  . 
.  0-8558 
155° 
Soluble. 
3.  .  o-85S9 
150° 
Insoluble. 
11  . 
.  o'86oi 
155° 
Soluble. 
4  .  .  0-8670 
1500 
Soluble. 
12  . 
•  0-8587 
155° 
Soluble. 
5  •  •  0-8673 
153° 
Soluble. 
13  • 
.  0*8565 
154° 
Soluble. 
6  .  .  o'86oo 
153° 
Soluble. 
14  . 
.  0*8592 
154° 
Soluble. 
7 .  .  0-8590 
152° 
Soluble. 
15  • 
.  08540 
155° 
Soluble. 
8 .  .  0-8550 
195° 
Soluble. 
Specific 
Gravity. 
Boiling 
Point. 
08591 
153°C. 
305  Cherry  Street,  Philadelphia. 
