6 
Adulterations  of  Essential  Oils. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
\    January,  1901. 
bodies,  which  cause  the  freshly  distilled  oil  to  develop  a  coloration 
in  a  short  time.  The  smaller  the  amount  of  phenol,  the  longer  the 
oil  will  remain  colorless.  Careful  analyses  of  this  oil  show  that  a 
pure  product  contains  about  25  per  cent,  of  phenols,  and  these  can 
be  approximately  estimated  by  treating  a  given  volume  of  oil  with 
a  5  per  cent,  solution  of  sodium  hydroxide,  in  a  burette,  and  not- 
ing the  diminution  of  volume  of  the  oil.  The  alkaline  solution 
forms  soluble  compounds  with  the  phenols. 
The  following  comprises  a  list  of  oils  and  the  impurities  found  in 
them  by  various  observers,  as  well  as  the  writers : 
Almonds,  bitter,  true. — There  are  no  objections,  so  far  as  the 
writers  know,  to  the  preparation  of  a  so-called  oil  of  bitter  almonds 
made  from  apricot  or  peach  kernels,  but  it  ought  not  to  be  offered 
as  the  genuine  article.  The  true  oil  is  often  adulterated  with 
alcohol,  nitrobenzol,  turpentine  and  benzaldehyde,  the  latter 
sometimes  in  toto. 
Aniseed,  spermaceti  up  to  35  per  cent.,  alcohol  as  much  as  80 
per  cent.,  kerosene,  wax,  oils  of  fennel,  cedar,  copaiba,  camphor, 
turpentine,  fennel  stearoptene  and  oil  of  caraway,  obtained  from 
both  the  seed  and  the  chaff. 
Angelica,  copaiba. 
Amber,  crude,  resin  mixed  with  coal  oil  and  turpentine.  It  is 
rumored  that  crude  petroleum  is  frequently  supplied  for  this  article. 
Amber,  rectified,  resin  oil,  turpentine  and  kerosene.  Note 
remarks  made  under  amber,  crude. 
Bay,  cloves,  pimento,  turpentine  and  oils  containing  phenols. 
It  has  also  been  adulterated  with  redistilled  oil  of  cinnamon  leaf, 
with  a  slight  admixture  of  redistilled  oil  of  lemongrass.  Such  an 
article  has  been  pronounced  by  those  of  little  experience  superior 
to  the  pure  product,  appearing  sweeter,  more  aromatic  and  not  as 
heavy  in  odor  as  a  pure  oil. 
Birch,  methyl  salicylate,  and  there  is  no  absolute  method  to  de- 
tect it. 
Bergamot,  lemon,  orange,  French  turpentine,  linaloe,  fatty  oils. 
Cajeput ;  this  is  often  looted.  A  mixture  of  rosemary  or  savin 
with  camphor  and  resin  of  milfoil  is  often  substituted.  Oils  of 
campjior  and  turpentine  must  be  looked  for. 
Cajeput,  Formosa,  said  to  be  a  mixture  of  cajeput  and  oil  of 
camphor. 
