356 
Aniseed  Oils,  and  AnethoL 
/Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
I       July,  1901. 
THE  ANISEED  OILS,  AND  ANETHOL1 
By  George  R.  Pancoast,  M.D.,  and  Lyman  F.  Kebi,er,  Ph.C, 
Aniseed  oil  is  one  of  the  oldest  of  essential  oils  known,  having 
been  observed  as  early  as  the  sixteenth  century.  On  account  of  its 
being  a  grateful  aromatic  and  a  mild  carminative  it:  has  received 
general  recognition  by  the  various  pharmacopoeias.  The  1880 
U.S.P.  recognized,  and  the  1898  Br.  Phar.  at  present  recognizes, 
both  the  oils  distilled  from  Anise  and  Illicium.  The  former  states  that 
Oil  of  Illicium  has  nearly  the  same  properties  as  oil  of  Anise, 
except  that  it  congeals  at  about  2°  C.  while  the  latter  recognizes  a 
difference  in  the  solubility  in  alcohol.  The  1 890  U.S.P.  recognizes 
only  the  oil  distilled  from  Pimpinella  Anisum  L.  (Nat.  Ord.  Umbelli- 
ferae).  Why  this  restriction  has  been  made  is  not  apparent.  The 
plant  originally  came  from  Egypt  and  the  Levant,  but  on  account 
of  its  usefulness,  importance,  and  ease  of  production,  it  is  now  culti- 
vated in  nearly  all  parts  of  the  world.  Russia  at  present  is  the 
largest  producer  of  oil,  not  solely  because  it  grows  the  greatest 
quantity  of  seed  (about  3,000  tons  annually)  but  rather  because  the 
seed  is  of  inferior  quality  and  is  of  little  value  except  for  oil.  Spain 
has  of  late  years  produced  about  1,500  tons  per  annum,  and  Turkey 
not  far  from  this  amount ;  but  these  two  countries  produce  large, 
pure  seed  of  such  fine  quality  as  to  commercially  preclude  its  use 
for  oil. 
Seed  from  various  sources  will  yield  from  1  y2  to  6  per  cent,  of 
oil.  In  some  localities,  stems,  chaff  and  even  the  leaves  are  added 
to  the  fruit  before  distillation.  Chaff  yields  about  ]/2  per  cent,  of 
oil. 
The  physical  properties  of  aniseed  oil  have  been  thoroughly  in- 
vestigated and  are  as  follows  ;  at,  or  above  200  C.  it  is  a  colorless  or 
pale  yellowish,  strongly  refractive  liquid,  of  a  characteristic  odor  and 
sweetish,  mildly  aromatic,  taste.  At  or  about  +  I5°  C.  it  solidifies 
into  a  snow-white  crystalline  mass,  called  by  some  "  flat  tablets  " 
and  a^ain  becomes  completely  liquid  at  from  -f  18  to  -f  200  C.  An 
oil  that  requires  a  temperature  below  -j-  15 0  C.  for  congealing 
should  be  looked  upon  with  suspicion.  The  specific  gravity  of  a 
fresh  oil  is  0-980  to  0-990  at  170  C.  increasing  with  age ;  due  to  the 
1  Read  before  the  Pennsjdvania  State  Pharmaceutical  Association,  June, 
1901,  and  communicated  by  the  authors. 
