EOSACE^E 401
the roses of those whose production is very small and who possess no
distillation apparatus of their own.
The quantity of essence produced during 1912 was 300 kilos, and in
1913 to 400 kilos. Up to 1912 all this was purchased by the agents of
Bulgarian or Constantinople houses, who bought up all that was offered,,
selling it again to their fellow-countrymen who exported it again under
their own seals, principally as Bulgarian otto of rose. So it happened
that quite an important production was entirely unknown to Western
consumers.
During the last few years, however, upon the initiative of certain of
the greater distillers, a combine was formed to bulk the entire production
of Sparta and Burdur, and sell it direct to Europe instead of passing it
through Bulgaria. This was, of course, an advantage, not only to the
growers, but also to the European consumers, in that it did away with
intermediate expenses and profits.
The product is then sent down to Smyrna, the principal port of Asia
Minor, by the railway that connects Burdur with the coast, to the
exporting agents.
The otto is of extreme delicacy of perfume and of high melting-point,
as the following analysis shows :—
lSpecific gravity — 0-850
Optical rotation - 3° 30
Refractive index at 25° 1-4605
Melting-point 24° to 25° CLPERSIAN OTTO OF ROSE.
Specific gravity at 30° 0-830
Optical rotation -9°
Melting-point 21 to 22°
It is obvious from the above figures that the locality of production
must be considered in forming an opinion as to the purity of otto of rose.
Adulteration with palmarosa oil is revealed by the odour apart from
the obvious alteration in the physical characters of the sample. Alcohol
is frequently added in small quantities as it causes the stearoptene to
become less soluble, and so raises the apparent melting-point.
Alcohol can be detected by distilling a few c.c. of the sample with
water, and testing the distillate by the usual iodoform reaction. If the
sample be washed with warm water in a separator, and the refractive-
index of the washed otto be examined, it will be found to be higher than
that of the original otto. If this excess be more than O'OOl it is almost
certainly due to alcohol.
The author, a few years ago, observed a new adulterant in Bulgarian
otto of rose, which caused the optical rotation to be abnormally high.
This has since been identified by Schimmel & Co.
2
as gurjun balsam oiL
This is detected by mixing 5 drops of nitric acid with 5 c.c. of glacial
acetic acid, and then shaking with 5 drops of the otto in question. In
the presence of gurjun oil a reddish-violet colour develops within a
minute or two.
The total alcohols are determined by acetylation in the usual manner,
and the citronellol by formylation. The formylation process is carried
out as follows :—
(^1) P. and E.O.R. (1913), 338. (^2) Report, April, 1912, 108.
VOL. i. 26