Amjuiyiri9Qarm'}         Aniseed  Oils,  and  Ancthol  357 
formation  of  anisaldehyde,  amsic  acid  and  polymeric  anethols.  The 
plane  of  polarized  light  is  turned  slightly  to  the  left  up  to  i°  50 
minutes.  It  is  clearly  soluble  in  an  equal  volume  of  alcohol  and 
the  resulting  solution  should  not  assume  a  blue  or  brown  tint  on 
the  addition  of  a  drop  of  solution  of  iron  chloride  (absence  of  phe- 
nol).   With  age  the  oil  becomes  more  readily  soluble  in  alcohol. 
The  principal  constituents  are  anethol,  80  to  90  per  cent.,  and 
methylchavicol,  an  optically  inactive  body  having  the  odor  of 
aniseed  oil,  but  lacking  its  sweet  taste. 
For  the  various  adulterants  found  from  time  to  time  and 
methods  of  detecting  the  same,  see  a  former  paper  by  the  authors, 
in  American  Journal  of  Pharmacy,  73,  1,  entitled  "  Adulterations 
of  Essential  Oils." 
Before  taking  a  sample  for  examination,  the  contents  of  the  can 
should  be  thoroughly  liquid  and  well  agitated  so  as  to  get  a  repre- 
sentative sample. 
Aniseed  oil,  it  is  said,  can  only  be  distinguished  from  star  anise 
by  the  odor  and  taste.  Various  other  distinguishing  tests  have 
been  suggested,  but  none  have  proved  satisfactory.  It  is  probably 
due  largely  to  the  close  similarity  of  the  two  oils,  and  the  difference 
in  price,  that  the  former  has  been  largely  displaced  by  the  latter  ; 
which  is  derived  from  the  fruit  of  Illicium  verum,  H.  (Nat.  Ord. 
Magnoliaceae).  The  new  German  Pharmacopoeia  has  met  the  exist- 
ing conditions  very  well  in  that  it  recognized  neither  of  the  oils,  but 
their  chief  constituent,  anethol.  Whether  such  a  step  is  a  good  one, 
time  alone  can  tell. 
Star  anise  oil  is  practically  controlled  by  the  Chinese.  At  the 
source  of  distillation  it  is  placed  into  tin  cans  holding  from  32  to  35 
catties  (42  to  46  pounds)  and  shipped  to  Hong  Kong  or  other 
prominent  markets,  from  whence  it  is  sent  out  in  lead  canisters 
holding  jy2  kilos.  Some  of  the  star  anise  oil  is  sent  through  Ton- 
quin,  the  French  centre  of  distribution.  The  construction  of  the 
canisters  is  not  the  most  convenient,  for  readily  emptying,  without 
loss.  The  following  precedure  works  very  satisfactorily.  Cut  a 
round  hole  into  the  centre  of  the  canister,  through  the  seal,  make 
this  opening  perfectly  smooth  and  round  by  means  of  a  reamer;  into 
this  opening  insert  a  double  perforated  cork,  carrying  in  one  open- 
ing a  siphon-shaped  glass  tubing,  of  suitable  size  and  length,  armed 
with  a  piece  of  rubber  tubing  at  both  ends,  the  rubber  piece  inside 
the  container  is  about  an  inch  long,  and  the  one  outside  a  foot 
