Volatile Oil Of Gaultheria Procumbens
The chemical history of this oil is of great importance and of great interest, one of the examples providing where advances of modern chemistry could artificially produce a complex organic body, formerly known as the result of life force.
The volatile oil is recovered from the winter-green by distillation.
Wintergreen is a group of aromatic plants.
The term "wintergreen" once commonly referred to plants that remain green (continue photosynthesis) throughout the winter.
The term "evergreen" is now more commonly used for this characteristic.
Most species of the shrub genus Gaultheria demonstrate this characteristic and are called wintergreens in North America, the most common generally being the American wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens).Wintergreens in the genus Gaultheria contain an aromatic compound, methyl salicylate, and are used as a mintlike flavoring.
When this plant is distilled, an oil first pass consisting of C10H8, but when the temperature reaches 464 °, a pure oil dissolves in the receiver.
For this reason the essential oil of this plant, like many others, consists of two parts: the hydrocarbon, the other is hydrogen; This is the main component of the oil, and the one that has many chemical interest because it has been artificially produced.
It is said that when prepared well, the spiroylate of dimethyl ether and was obtained when distilled together two parts of petrol wood, a half and a half spiroylic acid and a part of sulfuric acid.
It is a colorless liquid with a smell and a pleasant aromatic taste;It is readily soluble in water, but in all proportions in ether and alcohol; It then runs between 411 ° and 435 ° Fahr and has a density of 1.173.
This compound elicits carbonic acid combinations and forms a series of salts containing a base atom and a methyl ether of spiroylate atom. It therefore behaves like a conjugated acid.
Its formula is C14H5O5 + C2H3O.
The spiroylic acid can be separated from the natural oil by treating it with a concentrated solution of caustic potash at a temperature of 113 ° F when wood spirit is formed and evaporated, and the solution contains of spiroylate potash decomposed with sulfuric acid, spiroylic Acid separates and falls in the liquid.
The spiroylic acid is also formed by the oxidation of spiroyligénic acid, and when the saligine, salicin, the courmacine or indigo are heated with caustic potash.
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