Chemistry of Essential Oils

LABIATE

Adulterated Oil.

Specific gravity 0*916

Optical rotation +14°

Total alcohols 19-3 per cent.

Esters 1-6 „

Solubility, 1 in 2 volumes of 80 per cent, alcohol.

Fractionation :—

211

Fraction.

Per Cent

1. .10

2. .60

3. .10

4. .10

5 Residue 10

Specific

Gravity.

•883

•894

935

961

-978

Rotation.

f 14

°

+ 16°

+ 15°

+ 12°

Refractive

Index (25°).

1-4660

1-4675

1-4750

1-4822

1-4950

No crystallisation occurred in the higher fractipns.

Pure French oil fractionated under the same conditions :—

Specific gravity 0-911

Optical rotation ........ +5°

•Total alcohols.. 15-1 per cent.

Esters 2-2 ,,

Fractionation :—

1

2

8

4

5

Fraction.

Per Cent.

. 10
. 60
. 10
. 10
Residue 10

Specific

Gravity.

0-880

0-897

0-938

0-953

0-955.

Rotation.

- 4°

+ 3°

+ 13°

+ 13°

Refractive

Index (25°).

1-4643

1-4650

1-4690

1-4725

1-4835

Fraction 4 partially crystallised on cooling.
From a comparison of these figures it will be seen that the highest
boiling fractions of the adulterated oil have a high specific gravity, a
high refractive index, and, further, do not crystallise.
He was able to obtain a considerable bulk of the oil, which has been
most carefully fractionated, and from which it was possible without
difl&culty to obtain, not only safrol, confirming the suspicion of the pre-
sence of camphor oil, but further undoubted proof of the presence of
terpineol, which is a constituent of camphor oil, and not hitherto de-
tected in rosemary oil.

PEPPEKMINT OIL.

Peppermint oil is produced in numerous countries, the principal
supplies of the world being derived from the United States and Japan.
English peppermint oil is, however, the most highly esteemed of all
and commands by far the highest price. France, Italy, Russia, Ger-
many, and other countries now produce appreciable quantities of