The essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation of freshly harvested Indian Cannabis sativa L. \vas found to contain the following constituents that have not previously been reported: or

Oil of ginger was found to contain the following, as yet unreported, constituents—cumene, β-pinene, myrcene, p-cymene, γ-selinene, β-elemene, 2-heptanol, 2-nonanol, and bornyl acetate. The presence of 2 alcohols, for which gas chromatographic and infrared criteria of identity were determined, was also demonstrated. These data are important for establishing the authenticity of the essential oil.

tation broths of Bacillus subtilis,9 from cultures of Aspergillus niger,10 and as a product of tryptophane metabolism by claviceps Paspali.11 In general the odihydric phenolic structure is rare among microbial products.Experimental A sample (40 mg.) of the crude yellow amorphous phenolic metabolite was dissolved in a minimum quantity of boiling water. The aqueous solution was acidified with sulfuric acid and the free phenol was extracted with ethyl acetate. The ethyl acetate solution was treated with Darco G-60 activated carbon, filtered, and evaporated. The product was recrystallized twice from hot water.When the amorphous or colorless crystalline phenol was heated on a Kofler hot stage, it began to sublime at 140°and formed beautiful hard cubes, m.p. 204-205°( cor.). A mixture melting point determination with an authentic sample of 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid produced no melting point depression.

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Oil of wild ginger was found t o contain the following as yet unreported constituents: p-pinene, A3-carene, j3-caryophyllene, ar-curcumene, linalool, borneol, and a-terpineol. The presence of three ketones, one of them readily generated during gas chromatographic analysis from a non-ketonic sesquiterpenoid, was also demonstrated. Formation of a sesquiterpene alcohol as a compositional artefact of the oil occurred during column chromatography over alumina.