JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF COSMETIC CHEMISTS Where the odour of the oil is of critical importance as in the perfumery and cosmetic trades it should be tested on smelling strips at intervals, taking particular care to examine the residual odour carefully. A good way of also testing the odour is to place 50 mi. of water in a 250 mi. conical flask, add a drop or two of the oil and then well swill the flask. The odour of the oil should then be observed in a similar manner to a brandy connoisseur evaluating the aroma of his favourite beverage. The chemical analysis can reveal many interesting points if careful scrutiny be made of it and the various characteristics taken in conjunction with one another. Such points as a high non-volatile residue, a particularly low or high specific gravity, an especially high optical rotation, an abnormal peroxide value can all indicate certain facts regarding the origin and age of the oil, and in some cases may allow a further grading to be carried out. Having by the procedure given above reduced the choice of samples to those from which the final choice will be made, it will probably be found that there are one, two or maybe three samples left for the final decision. The deciding factor will now rest on the price and the behaviour in the finished product. A small batch of the final product in which it is intended to incor- porate the essential oil is made under identically the same conditions and using the same constituents as standard works batches, and compared with the standard product for aroma or flavour. Having carried out all of these tests it is then that the price factor has to be taken into account. It is a fatal mistake to buy the cheapest essential oil unless critical tests have proved that it has the covering power and tenacity of the others. Price should be the last sorting out factor instead of, as in many cases, the first one. Another point to which attention should be drawn is that in any case the B.P. and B.P.C. are the minimum standards that an oil has to comply with, and also that they are standards for oils which are intended to be used for medicinal products and that the quality that would satisfy these require- ments need not necessarily be the quality that is suitable for other purposes. Having made the final judgment and having decided to buy one of the samples submitted, and having forwarded the order to the merchant or essential oil house, one will then have to check the delivery against the sample. Here a few general words regarding sampling will not be out of place, as sometimes arguments arise on this point. It sometimes happens that the original sample submitted is a type sample and that on buying the bulk there may be very slight differences in the delivery. There are reasons for this. It may happen that at the docks only one or two of the original containers have been opened, as many buyers of essential oils lay great stress on having the oil in original containers, with an unbroken seal carrying a well-known producer's name on it. As the oil is the result of several different distillations and these have to be blended, the lack of a very large capacity 262

THE EFFECT UPON EMULSIONS OF THE HYDROXY COMPOUNDS IN BEESWAX tank may cause these slight variations. If possible, the number of broken seals and opened containers should be kept to a minimum. In conclusion, one may say that although general hints such as have been given above can be of service in the buying of essential oils, there is a lot to be said for the good will and the good name of the seller, and the old adage that the high standing of the firm and high reputation on the label is as good a guarantee of quality as one can obtain from chemical tests. THE EFFECT UPON EMULSIONS OF THE HYDROXY COMPOUNDS IN BEESWAX J. PICKTHALL, F.R.I.C.* Work is described in which the role of the hydroxy compounds in beeswax is demonstrated. It is found that these play an important part in the emulsi- fication behaviour of the wax and attention is drawn to the resultant value of the acetyl value as a beeswax constant. A STUDY of the literature does not p• oduce a very lucrative yield of informa- tion on the composition of beeswax. The following information has been gleaned from various sources. 1. "Chemically, beeswax is composed of myricyl palmirate, cerotic and homologous acids with small amounts of hydrocarbons, cholesterol esters and ceryl alcohols, pollen and resins. The presence of resins in undue amounts renders bleaching difficult. The free fatty acid content is an important factor in emulsifiability. Properties: Melting point 145-158 ø F. Specific gravity 0.952-0.975 Acid number 16.6-20.7 Saponification number 90-96 Unsaponifiable matter 52-56% Iodine number 4-12 Acetyl number 15.1 Ester number 72-78 Ester-acid ratio 3.6-4.2 Colour white, yellow, brown Refractive index (75 ø C.) 1.4398-1.4451 Odour honey Dielectric constant 3.1-3.3 Effective A.C. conductivity 70-86 Volume resistivity 0.9-1.5 *Polak and Schwarz (England) Ltd., Enfield, Middlesex. 263