494 
New  Essential  Oils. 
J  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
\<s  October,  1909. 
value.  In  other  quarters,  however,  leaves  have  also  been  noticed  of 
which  the  oil,  by  its  mere  odor,  betrays  a  composition  differing 
materially  from  that  of  the  ordinary  buchu  leaf  oil.  The  leaves  of 
Barosma  pulchellum  (L.)  Bartl.  et  Wendl.,  as  well  as  those  probably 
derived  from  Agathosma  variabile  (Lond.)  belong  to  the  latter 
category.  The  last-named  leaves  have  also  been  described  by  Sage  2 
who,  on  account  of  their  anise-like  odor,  called  them  "  Aniseed 
Buchu."  These  leaves  are  ovate-lanceolate,  leathery,  5  to  8  mm. 
long  and  3  mm.  wide,  and  bear  a  resemblance  to  Karoo  Buchu. 
Sage  intends  to  make  further  investigations  with  the  object  of  dis- 
covering whether  the  botanical  designation  aforementioned  is  correct. 
E.  M.  Holmes  3  was  the  first  to  call  attention  to  the  occurrence 
of  leaves  from  Barosma  pulchellum.  They  differ  from  the  betullnum 
leaves  by  their  citronella-like  odor  as  well  as  by  being  smaller.  Their 
length  runs  from  7  to  12  mm.,  their  width  is  4  mm.  They  have  very 
short  stalks,  are  ovate  to  ovate-lanceolate,  serrulate,  obtuse,  and 
broadest  at  the  base  of  the  leaf.  Like  the  other  varieties  of  Barosma, 
the  shrub  is  a  native  of  Cape  Colony.  In  order  to  enquire  further, 
into  the  question  whether  the  oil  would  eventually  possess  a  com- 
mercial value,  we  obtained  from  London  a  considerable  parcel  of 
the  leaves.  Dr.  Giessler,  "  Custos  "  at  the  Botanical  Institute  of 
Leipzig  LIniversity,  who  has  examined  the  material  as  regards  its 
botanical  origin,  has  ascertained  that  it  really  represented  Barosma 
pulchellum  (L.)  Bartl.  et  Wendl.  Leaves  of  the  closely  related 
B.  pulchellum  var.  ma  jus  and  B.  latifolium  (L.  f.)  Rom.  et  Schult. 
also  occurred  in  the  parcel. 
Upon  distillation  the  leaves  yielded  3  per  cent,  of  a  golden-yellow 
oil,  with  an  odor  reminding  chiefly  of  citronella,  but  possessing  at 
the  same  time  an  unpleasant  narcotic  subsidiary  odor,  which  con- 
stitutes a  direct  objection  to  the  use  of  the  oil.  The  specific  gravity 
was  0.8830  (150),  opt.  rot.  aD  +  8°  36',  nD2o<5  M577i>  acid  no.  18.5, 
ester  no.  27.2,  ester  no.  after  acetylation  237.0  =  79.3  per  cent. 
C10HlsO.  We  are  able  to  give  the  following  details  with  regard  to 
the  examination  of  the  oil,  which  is,  however,  not  yet  concluded : 
The  disagreeable  subsidiary  odor  referred  to  above  is  due  to  a 
base.  This  was  abstracted  from  the  oil  (which  was  kept  cool)  by 
treatment  with  25  per  cent,  tartaric  acid  solution.    The  base,  sepa- 
2  Pharmaceutical  Journal,  80  (1908),  125. 
3  Pharmaceutical  Journal,  79  (1907),  598;  compare  also  Chemist  and 
Druggist,  71  (1907),  702. 
