LAUEACE 2 E 155
solution was first used up, but after neutralisation a fresh \ separation of
alkali immediately took place and in the end the saponification value
0 was obtained. Acetylation could not be carried out, as with acetic
anhydride a violent reaction ensued, gas being given off and carbonisa-
tion taking place. The presence of lactones and perhaps also of phenols
is furthermore indicated by the fact that the oil is partly absorbed by
caustic soda, about 65 per cent, of the oil going into solution when
shaken with 5 per cent, solution. Judging by its odour, the portion of
the oil which did not react with sodium hydroxide contains caryo-
phyllene.OLL OF OCOTEA USAMBARENSIS.
Ocotea Usambarensis, an East African tree known as the Ibean
camphor tree, yields an essential. oil varying according to the part of
the tree from which it has been obtained. The oils have been examined
at the Imperial Institute,^1 and found to have the following characters :—
Oil from
Sapwood. Twigs. Branches. ,
Yield... 0-4 per cent. 0-52 per cent. 0-14 per cent.
Specific gravity. 0-9641 0-9681 0-9327
Optical rotation. - 7° 30' - 7° 30' - 0° 28'
Saponification value 30-1 30-1 13-3
The oils from the sapwood and the twigs contained a considerable
amount of cineol. Schmidt and Weilinger^2 have examined an oil,
from the bark of the tree, which had the following characters :—
Specific gravity 0-913 at 20°
Optical rotation - li° 12'
Refractive index..1-4760
Acid value 1-2
Ester value 12-5
He found present in the oil myristic aldehyde, Z-terpineol, and a
sesquiterpene.
OIL OF LITSEA ODOBIFEKA.
The leaves of this plant, which are known in Java as Trawas leaves,
yield an essential oil, which has been examined by Eomburgh. The
oil has the following characters :—
Specific gravity 0-836 to 0-846
Optical rotation - 0° 10' to - 7°
The oil contains nonylene-methyl-ketone, methyl-nonyl-carbinol, and
undecenol.
OIL OF CAMPHOR.
Ordinary camphor oil is a by-product in the manufacture of the
ordinary or " Japan " camphor. The tree yielding this is perhaps best
known as Cinnamomum camphora, but it has been known under
several other names, such as Camphor*, officinalis and Laurus cam-
phora. The tree is distributed throughout the eastern provinces of
Central China, on the Island of Hainan, and to a very great extent in
Formosa, which is the principal seat of the industry. The Japanese
islands Kinshft and Shikokti. also produce it very abundantly. Accord-
ing to Yoshida, the older trees contain more camphor than the young.
1Bull Imp. Inst., 9 (1911), 340. *Bericht, 39 (1908), 652.