Phytochemical notes*†*191273. R. C. Roark, “Oil from Mentha citrata,” Jour. A. Ph. A., 2, 839.78. R. C. Roark, “An Unusual Oil of Wormwood,” Jour. A. Ph. A., 2, 841.79. O. A. Beath, “Oleoresin of Pseudotsuga taxifolia,” Jour. A. Ph. A., 2, 303 and 1566.80. O. A. Beath, “A Crystalline Resin Acid from Pinus sabiniane,” Jour. A. Ph. A., 2, 303 and 1569.†Read in abstract before Scientific Section, A. Ph. A., Atlantic City meeting, 1916.1 Wenzel, Am. Journal of Pharmacy, 1872, 92.2 Chem. Soc. Journal, Trans., 35, 296.3 Annalen, 217, 149.4 Pharm. Review, 25, 212.

✍ Scribed by Kremers, Roland E.

• Publisher: Elsevier
• Year: 1917
• Weight: 275 KB
• Volume: 6
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0898-140X
• DOI: 10.1002/jps.3080060103

✦ Synopsis

That the oleoresin of the Digger's pine of California does not, upon distillation, yield a turpentine oil but a product that bears resemblance to some of the lower fractions of American petroleum was observed during the seventies of the past century.' That it might be used for similar purposes as those to which petroleum benzine had been put is indicated by the trade name "erasine" under which, for a time, it appeared in the California marke;.

The identity of the bulk of this oil with normal heptane was established physically by Thorpe2 in 1879, and chemically by Schorlemmer and Thorpe3 in 1882. That the oil contains substances other than heptane, though in but small amount, is indicated by its odor and by the synonym "aurantine," under which it likewise appeared in the California market. Whereas the striking occurrence of heptane, as a product of a conifer, attracted the attention of chemists to this hydrocarbon, the one or two percent of non-heptane constituents of the oil are of equal interest to the phytochemist. Rabak4 in 1904 endeavored to ascertain something about these other constituents but did not have sufficient material at his disposal to identify any of them. Hence, when a larger amount became available, this was one of the first problems to suggest itself for at least a partial solution.

The physical constants for normal heptane, so painstakingly determined by Thorpe for the hydrocarbon obtained from the Digger's pine, are possibly among the most accurate on record for a hydrocarbon of the methane series. However, if one stops to consider that the hydrocarbon so carefully investigated physically by Thorpe had an optical rotation of about 6.9' it becomes apparent that it could not have been absolutely pure. Normal heptane should be optically inactive.

* The publication of these notes, which has been interrupted for several years, is herewith Since the publication of the revised list (JOUR. A. PR. A., 2 , 7q), the following resumed. numbers have been published in this Journal: 1912 73.