A PRELIMINARY NOTE ON MESUOL, THE BITTER PRINCIPLE OF MESUA FERREA.

The bitter fatty oil of the seed kernel of Mesua ferrea, Linn. (N. O. Guttiferea.), known in India as Nagkesar or Nageshwar oil, has been the subject of a number of investigations (Boorsma, Bull. Inst. Botan. Buiten­zorg, 1904, 21, 4 ; Hooper, Pharm. J., 19o8, 27, 161 ; Grimme, Chem. Rev. Fett. Harzind., 1910, 17, 156 ; Dhingra and Hilditch, J. Soc. Chem. Ind., 1931, 50, 9T; Chatterjee and Gupta, Oil Col. Trades J., 1937, 91, 1656). Very little is, however, known regarding the other constituents of the seeds. Boorsma (loc. cit.) reported the presence of two resinous bitter principles, but they did not receive further attention.