5271. Juniper Tar

Nomenclature

Oil of cade; empyreumatic oil of juniper; oil of juniper tar; Haarlem oil; Harlem oil; Tilly drops; Holland balsam; silver drops; silver balsam; Kaparlem; Caparlem.

Description and references

Volatile oil from wood of Juniperus oxycedrus L., Cupressaceae. Constit. Chiefly cadinene. Toxicity data: P. M. Jenner et al., Food Cosmet. Toxicol. 2, 327 (1964). Review: D. L. J. Opdyke, ibid. 13, 733-734 (1975).

Properties

Dark brown, more or less viscid liq; smoky odor; acrid, slightly aromatic taste. d2525 0.950-1.055. nD20 1.510-1.530. Very slightly sol in water; sol in 3 vols ether, in chloroform, amyl alcohol, glacial acetic acid, oil turpentine; partly sol in alcohol or petr ether. LD50 orally in rats: 8014 mg/kg (Jenner).

Use

As a gin-like flavor; in perfumery.

Therapeutic Category

Anti-eczematic (topical).