Rosemary, Optical Rotation of Essential Oil of. H. J. Henderson. (Pharm. Journ. [4], 25, 599.) From observations on authentic English grown and distilled oils, the author establishes the fact that genuine rosemary oil may have a laevorotation. The following are the characteristics of the oils distilled at Hitchin, during the past three years : Sp. Optical Rota- Solubility. 1905 0-9029 -0° 24′ at 20° C. 1906 0-9030 -0° 36′ at 20° C. 1907 0-9038 -2° 48′ at 14-5° C. 2 C.C. dissolved in 0.6 C.C. of 90 per cent. alcohol. 2 C.C. dissolved in 0.5 C.C. of 90 per cent, alcohol. 2 C.C. dissolved in 0-6 C.C. of 90 per cent. alcohol. The oils are distilled from the fresh material immediately after cutting, in contradistinction to foreign oils, which are distilled from the dried material, and to some so-called English oil, which is distilled in England from dried material imported from abroad. (See also Year-Books, 1891, 216; 1895, 169; 1896, 149; 1898, 190; 1903, 147; 1905, 150; 1906, 68.) Rutin, Distribution of. E. Schmidt and A. Wunderlich. (Archiv. Pharm., 246, 214.) Previous investigation has shown that sophorin from Sophora japonica (Year-Book, 1905, 156), is identical with rutin from Ruta graveolens, and that the only difference between the latter and caper-rutin from Capparis spinosa is a slight one of the m.p. Further research shows that the rhamosides of Viola tricolor, Polygonum fagopyrum, Globularia alypum, and Capparis spinosa are all identical with rutin from Ruta graveolens, C27H30016, and they are all hydrolized, forming quercetin, rhamnose and glucose, thus: C27H30O16+3H2O = C15H10O7+C6H14O6+C6H12O6. Still, in spite of numerous methods of purification, caper-rutin retains a lower m.p. than that of rue rutin. But as all the derivatives of both have the same characters, the identity of the rhamnosides is established. Further, the rhamnosides described by A. C. Perkin, osyritin from Osyris compressa and myrticolorin from Eucalyptus macrorhyncha are also rutin. That rhamnoside has therefore been located in Rutaceae, Leguminosae, Violaceae, Polygonaceae, Globulariaceae, Myrtaceae, Santalaceae and Capparidaceae. Saccharin, Detection and Determination of. G. Parmeggiani. (Boll. Chim. farm., 1908, 37; Apoth. Zeit., 23, 223.) Fifty c.c. of the solution is evaporated to 25 c.c., then shaken out once with 30 c.c. of amyl acetate. After separation, the ethereal solution is evaporated to a small volume, and shaken up with a few drops of neutral lead acetate; any precipitate formed is filtered out, and excess of Pb is removed with H2S. The filtrate is then shaken out with 20 c.c. of acetic ether. After separating and evaporating this, the residue is tested by taste and appropriate reagents for saccharin. The quantitative determination is conducted in a similar manner, but a mixture of equal volumes of ether and petroleum ether is used in the final shaking out; 50 c.c. of this is used in 3 to 6 portions in succession. The ether residue is then titrated with 50/N alkali. Saffron and its Adulteration. A. E. Parker. (Pharm. Journ. [4], 26, 267.) Five samples of spurious or adulterated samples have given the following figures: Samples B, C, D, E deflagrated on ignition from presence of nitrates. Sample A contained only a few stray crocus stigmas; the remaining fibres consisted of something of the nature of a sedge coloured with a red dye. The insoluble ash consisted almost entirely of barium sulphate. Samples B and C had the appearance of genuine saffron, and contained no foreign fibres; the colour reaction with C probably failed owing to the large amount of mineral matter present. Samples D and E were called "Alicante" saffron, and contained not more than 10 per cent. of crocus stigmas. The other fibres were similar to the foreign fibres in A. D contained 9-9 per cent. of silica. From the figures given by samples B, C, and E the conclusion was drawn that potassium nitrate and borax were the mineral adulterants. The alkalinity of the ash from 1 Gm. of the sample expressed in c.c. of N/10 acid. Two samples of "Valencia" saffron were obtained from perfectly reliable sources, and examined with the following results: Sage, Dalmatian, Essential Oil of. (Schimmels' Report, October, 1907, 82.) A specimen of Dalmatian sage oil from Salvia officinalis was found on fractionation to contain dextro-camphor as well as borneol. Normal sage oil distilled in Germany from the Dalmatian herb gave, however, no indication of the presence of dextro-camphor; but that body was isolated from the oil obtained by cohobation" from the distillation water of the ordinary oil. The presence or absence of dextro-camphor in 66 sage oil would appear, therefore, to depend on the method of distillation. 66 Sage, Grasse, Essential Oil of, with Abnormal" Characters. (Roure-Bertrand's Report, November, 1907, 18.) It is noted that essential oil of sage distilled by the ordinary process from herb grown at Grasse, presents characters which differ from those generally accepted for this oil. This oil, therefore, might be classed as "abnormal" from consideration of analytical data alone. Two samples distilled in different years, 1903 and 1905, had the following characters: Sp. gr. 0-915 and 0·916; a2+6°08′ and +6°27′. The 1905 oil had the saponification value 13-4 and the acetyl value 53-7. Sage, Syrian, Essential Oil of. (Schimmels' Report, October, 1907, 81.) The botanical source of this oil is stated to be Salvia triloba. It had the following characters: Sp. gr. 0-9116 at 15°C.; a-3°28′; ester value, 10-3; soluble 1: 15 to 16 of alcohol 70 per cent., and 1:1 or more of alcohol 80 per cent. Salicylic Acid, Phenol, Menthol, Cresol and Similar Bodies, Detection and Separation of. A. Bey thien and P. Atonstadt. (Zeits. angen. Chem.; Annales Chim. analyt., 13, 160.) These and similar bodies often occur together in mouth washes and analogous preparations. To separate them, 100 c.c. of the alcoholic solution is shaken up with 20 c.c. of strong NaHCO3 solution; the mixture is diluted to 200 c.c. and shaken out with petroleum ether. The aqueous layer contains sodium salicylate and phenol. From it, the latter is removed by shaking out with ether. The aqueous portion, after this treatment, is acidified and again shaken out with ether, which removes the salicylic acid liberated. The petroleum ether extract is evaporated at the ordinary temperature. The residue is treated with 100 or 150 c.c. of alcohol and saponified in the usual manner with 3 Gm. of KOH for 90 minutes. The liquid is then freely diluted with water and shaken out with ether, which removes any menthol. The alkaline aqueous portion is acidified, then treated with NaHCO3 and shaken out with ether. Phenol and cresol are thus removed. Salicylic acid remains in the alkaline liquid, from which it is liberated on acidifying, and is then shaken out with ether. Salicylic Acid, Test for Free Phenol in. O. Carletti. (Boll. Chim. Farm., 1907, 421; Pharm. Zentralh., 48, 620.) Twenty-five centigrammes of the acid is rubbed down in a mortar with 5 c.c. of distilled water and transferred to a testtube without filtering. Five drops of 2 per cent. furfural solution in alcohol are added; after shaking, 2 to 3 c.c. of strong H2SO4 is allowed to run down the side of the tube. If only 0.00005 Gm. of phenol be present, the zone of separation of the liquids will show a yellow ring, which becomes more or less deep blue according to the quantity of the impurity. Pure salicylic acid gives no colour. The test is applicable also to salicylates. Salol Chloral. Monteil. (L'Union pharm., 49, 53.) The various compounds of salol and chloral hydrate in use are more or less indefinite mixtures. By combining salol 214, chloral hydrate 147-5 at 100°C. an oily liquid, insoluble in water, crystallizing in the cold, is obtained for which the definite formula COO-C6H5 -OC-H-CC13 C&H4< OH is claimed. It is hypnotic and antiseptic in its action. It is a good solvent for many organic bodies and for boric acid. Definite formulae are given for combinations with menthol, salol, salicylic acid, boric acid and analgesine. Sambunigrin and Prulaurasin, Isomerism of, and other Cyanogenitic Glucosides. E. Bourquelot and H. Hérissey. (Journ. Pharm. Chim., 26, 1.) When Fischer's synthetic phenylglycol-nitrile glucoside is hydrolized with hydrochloric acid it furnishes laevorotatory phenyl-glycollic acid, a-163°. Sambunigrin, similarly treated, gives dextro-phenyl-glycollic acid, a+163°. Further, when Fischer's glucoside in aqueous solution is acted on by Ba20H, it is converted into prulaurasin. Sambunigrin when similarly treated with Ba2OH solution is also converted into prulaurasin. The prulaurasin thus obtained, when hydrolized yields optically inactive phenyl-glycollic acid. Fischer's glucoside is therefore the nitrile of the laevoacid, sambunigrin that of the dextro-acid and prulaurasin of the racemic isomer. Sandalwood, East Indian, Essential Oil of. (Evans' Analyt. Report, 1907, 40.) Forty samples of sandalwood oil, chiefly distilled in Liverpool, were found to fall between the limits given Sp. gr. 0.975 to 0.980; a-14°18′ to -22°16′; total santalol, 91.5 to 96-4 per cent. |