Chemistry of Essential Oils

112 THE CHEMISTEY OF ESSENTIAL OILS

Class 2.—Much resembling real cubebs, but outwardly shrivelled,,

with longer and broader tail than of real cubebs.

This kind produced, with concentrated sulphuric acid, a yellow

colouring.

Class 3.—Not resembling real cubebs at all—without tail and show-

ing a totally irregular microscopic figure—colouring yellow with con-

centrated sulphuric acid.

Class 4.—Much resembling the real cubebs, but larger and with a

different design of the net-work. With concentrated sulphuric acid

colouring yellow.

In order to check the assortment, 100 fruits of the No. 1 class have

been treated with concentrated sulphuric acid one by one ; it then ap-

peared that 98 gave a red and 2 a yellow colouring. These two proved

to belong to the No. 2 class, and have been taken out, so that at last it

could be accepted that the Class No. 1 consisted of real cubebs exclu-

sively.

The various isolated kinds have then been distilled, and also the

branches and the original (unassorted) sample :—

1. Original Sample.
   Production of oil. 14*44 per cent,
   Colour of oil
   Refraction 15° 0..
   Optical rotation 15° C.
   Specific gravity 15° C..

light; green

1-4955

• 29-12 (length of tube 10 cm.)
  0-922

2. Branches of Original Sample.
   Production of oil... 1-67 per cent.
   Colour of oil
   Refraction 15° C.
   Optical rotation 15° C.
   Specific gravity 15° C.

dark green

1-5011

• 21-76 (length of tube 10 cm.)
  0-938

3. Assortment of Same Sample.—Class 1.
   Production of oil. 17-78 per cent,
   Colour of oil.
   Refraction 15° C.
   Optical rotation 15° C.
   Specific gravity 15° C.

light blue-green

1-4964

• 29-60 (length of tube 10 cm.)
  0-924

4. Assortment of Same Sample, Broad-tailed.—Class 2.
   Production of oil.... 11-56 per cent.
   Colour of oil..... yellow-green
   Refraction 15° C 1-4928
   Rotation 15° C - 11-24 (length of tube 10 cm.)
   Specific gravity 15° C. 0-912


5. Assortment of Same Sample, Without Tail.—Class 3.
   Production of oil.... 7*21 per cent.
   Colour of oil..... slight yellow
   Refraction 15° C 1-4970
   Optical rotation 15° C.... + 14-24 (length of tube 10 cm.)
   Specific gravity 15° C. 0'922


6. Assortment of Same Sample, Larger Kind.—Class 4.
   Production of oil..... 13*3 per cent.
   Colour of oil slight light green
   Refraction 15° C 1-4924
   Optical rotation 15° C - 33'6 (length of tube 10 cm.)
   Specific gravity 15° C 0'923

From these figures there results :—