This section is from the book "The Volatile Oils Vol2", by E. Gildemeister. Also available from Amazon: The Volatile Oils.
The seeds of Monodora Myristica, Dunal (family Anonaceae), which are esteemed as spice and medicament by the natives of the west coast of Africa, contain, in addition to fat, a volatile oil of which 5,31) to 7 p.c.2) are obtained by steam distillation. It is yellow in color, shows a greenish-yellow fluorescence and has a very pleasant odor. An oil distilled by H. Thorns2) had d20o 0,896; [a]D - 64,96°. The oil deprived of its free acids and traces of phenols was fractionated in vacuum. The terpene fraction (d20o0,842) consisted principally of l-Iimonene (b.p. 74 to 76° under 16 mm. pressure; aD - 105,68°; m.p. of nitrosochloride 103 to 105°). In the third fraction, which constituted 20 p.c. of the oil and which boiled at 110 to 116° (16 mm.), the presence of a substance C10H16O was established which, according to H. Thorns, is probably identical with myristicol2).
An oil distilled by Schimmel & Co.1) had the following properties: d15o0,859; aD - 117°40'; A.V. 1,36; E.V. 3,4; E.V. after acetylation 27,11; soluble in about 4 vol. or more of 90 p.c. alcohol.
In the main it consisted of phellandrene. The melting point of the nitrite, re-crystallized from acetic ether, was found at 114 to 115°.
 
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