Chemistry of Essential Oils

LABIATE 259

The estimation of the pulegone, carried out by means of neutral
sodium sulphite, shows 20 per cent, of this ketone.
Two Dalmatian oils examined by Schimmel & Co, had the following
values:—

1. 
   
   
   
   2. Specific gravity 09305 0-9395
      Optical rotation ; + 2° 60' + 6° 28'
      Refractive index 1-4844 1-4892
      Acid value 09 —
      Ester „ 5-4 146
      The oil contained about 45 per cent, of pulegone.
      A French distilled oil had characters very similar to those of the
      Dalmatian oil.
      Umney & Bennett
      1
      have reported on an alleged Sicilian oil, which
      contained only a very small amount of ketones. The characters of the
      oil were as follows :—
      Specific gravity 0922
      Optical rotation ...... + 14°
      Esters 42 per cent.
      Total alcohols 18'2 per cent, as menthol
      Ketones ....... 108 per cent.
      Satureja hortensis.—This plant yields about Ol per cent, of essential
      oil, which has the following characters:—
      Specific gravity 0898 to 0930
      Optical rotation + 0° 4' „ - 0° 56'
      Phenols 36 to 45 per cent.
      The oil contains carvacrol, cymene, and a terpene.
      Satureja calamintha subsp. silvatica.—This plant is known in middle
      Europe as Mountain Balm. It yields an essential oil having the follow-
      ing characters:—
      2
   
   
   
   

Specific gravity 0-8759 to 0*8771

Optical rotation 17° „ - 28°

Refractive index 1*4911 „ 1*4951

Acid value. 0

Ester , 4*5 to 8*3

„ „ (after acetylation) 39

Its constituents have not been investigated.

OID OF BASIL.

Sweet Basil Oil.—This oil is distilled from the fresh herb Ocimum

basilicum, which yields about 0*05 per cent, of essential oil. This oil

has a most excellent fragrance, and is used in the preparation of mignon-

ette extract and similar perfumes.

A certain amount of Basil oil is distilled in Germany, France, Spain,

and Algeria, but a fair quantity is also now distilled in Keunion, Java,

and Mayotte.

E. G. and C. Camus

3

have recently investigated the botanical re-

lations of the cultivated species of Basilicum. There are several

varieties of Ocimum basilicum L. The variety purpurascens Benth.,

which is regarded by several authors as a distinct species, is cultivated

under the name of violet-red basil.

(^1) Chetn. and Drug., 67, 970.
a
3 Schiimnel, Bericht, April, 1901, 61; October, 1905, 11.
Boure-Bertrand Fils, Bulletin, October, 1910, 23.