Chemistry of Essential Oils

328 THE CHEMISTEY OF ESSENTIAL OILS

No. 1. No. 2.

Specific gravity at 15° C. ... 0-8712 0-8970

Optical rotation± 0° + 0° 6'

Solubility in 80 per cent, alcohol.. 1 volume and over 2 volumes and over

Acid value 9-1 5-6

Saponification number .... 250-6 228-9

(after acetylation) 293-0 251-1

On dilution with 90 per cent, alcohol the Italian sample deposits a

large quantity of paraffins. When the oil itself is subjected to refrigera-

tion it thickens a little but does not deposit solid matter.

Oil of parsnip contains a considerable amount of esters of octylic

alcohol.

These esters are composed chiefly of normal octyl butyrate.

OILS OF PEUCEDANUM.

The root of Peucedanum officinale and the fruit of Peucedanum

grande yield small quantities of oil, having the following characters:—

P. officinale. P. grande.

Specific gravity 0-902 0-901

Optical rotation + 29° 4' 4-36°

OIL OF ERYNGIUM FCETIDUM.

The oil distilled from this plant, which is known as Walang D&rr in

Java, has the following characters :—

Specific gravity 0-905 at 26°

Optical rotation + 0° 42'

Acid value 29-5

Saponification value 65

,, „ (after acetylation) .... 327

OLL OF SLUM CLCUT^EFOLIUM.

The fresh herb, Slum cicutcefolium, yields, according to Babak,^1 0 5
per cent, of essential oil, having the following characters:—
Specific gravity.... ~~.... 0-8447 at 22°
Optical rotation + 63° 40'
Acid value 0
Ester „ 33
It contains d-limonene and an aldehyde, which has not yet been
identified.
OIL OF CONIUM MACULATUM.
The herb Conium maculatum (deprived of flowers) yields about 0 08
per cent, of essential oil, which, according to Haensel, has the following
characters :—
Specific gravity 0-950
Acid value 60
Ester ,, 10
The fruit yields 0-018 per cent, of oil of specific gravity 0*895 and
Saponification value 34.
1
Midland Drug and Pharm. Rev., 43 (1909), 5.