Chemistry of Essential Oils

304 THE CHEMISTEY OF ESSENTIAL OILS

Besides esters and alcohols, a small quantity of aldehyde or ketone,

which yields a crystalline compound with sodium bisulphite, is present

in the oil.

OIL OF SANTOLINA.

The herb Santolina Chamcecypar issus, indigenous to Southern

Europe, yields about O 5 per cent, of essential oil, which has been in-

vestigated by Francesconi, Scaraffia, and Gianata l

The oil has the follow ing characters —

Specific gravity. 0 *8732

rotation - 11 74° at 25°

A sample examined by Schimmel & Co. had the following values —

Specific grav ity. 0- 9065

Refractive index. 1 5004

Acid value. G C

Ester „ 1G- 4

,, , (after acetylation) 74 2

A terpene is present in the oil, and two isomeric ketones, which
have been named a-santolinenone and /3-santolinenone, of the formula
C 10 H 16 O, both of which are unsaturated. A saturated ketone of the
camphor type of the same formula is also present, a-santolinenone
appears to be an optically inactive, racemic ketone, and /3-santolinenone
is also optically inactive, and probably racemic.
/2-Santolinenone yields a liquid oxime and a crystalline compound
with hydroxy lamine melting at 63° to 64°. This compound is obtained by
allowing a solution of hydroxylamine hydrochloride to react with an
ether-alcoholic solution of the oil with the addition of sodium bicarbonate.

UMBELL1FER/E,

OIL OF ANISEED.

On account of the great similarity of the oil distilled from Pin^pinella
Anisum, with the star aniseed oil, which constitutes the greater part of
the aniseed oil of commerce, this oil will be described, together with the
latter, as one of the Magnoliacese (q i ).

OIL OF CARVW \\

This oil is distilled from the seed of Car am cat in, a plant inhabiting
the low-lying lands in many parts of Northern and Central Europe. It
is cultivated in England, Germany, Holland, Prussia, Morocco, etc. The
Dutch fruit is esteemed very highly, and the oil obtained from it is worth
more than that obtained from any other, except English, which, how
ever, is a matter of local sentiment. Schimmel & Co. give the following
as the average yields obtained from various fruits: —

1

Gazz ( him .Hal , 44 (1914), n 150, 354, 46 (1916), ii, 251.