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XL. Notice concerning the Indian-Grass Oil, or Oil of Andropogon Calamus- 

 aromaticus. By THOMAS GEORGE TILLEY, Esq., Phil. D. Communicated by 

 Dr CHRISTISON. 



(Read 6th May 1844.) 



THE volatile oil commonly known as Indian-Grass Oil, is supposed by Pro- 

 fessor ROYLE to be produced from a peculiar species of Andropogon. This species 

 he considers identical with the Kaxa^of ap^ar/xof of the ancient Greeks, and 

 he has therefore called it A. calamus aromaticus. 



For the specimen of the oil which I have examined I am indebted to Dr 

 CHRISTISON, by whom it was received from Mr KEY, of the Madras Medical Ser- 

 vice. This gentleman obtained it while resident in the Nizam's territories, not 

 far from Ellichpoor, where the plant grows freely on hilly ground. The oil is 

 there called Roossah-oil. 



Dr CHRISTISON informs me, that he has frequently received from his East 

 Indian friends, under the name of Grass Oil, specimens of a volatile oil, which, if 

 not the same, bears the greatest resemblance to the one which I have examined, 

 apparently differing to a slight degree in odour alone. 



I extract from Dr CHRISTISON'S letter the account of the medical virtues of 

 this volatile oil. " The oil has been repeatedly sent to me," writes Dr CHRISTI- 

 SON, " as a remedy highly esteemed in India, when used in the way of friction, 

 for rheumatism. I have tried it occasionally with decided advantage. A gentle- 

 man, a patient of mine, who was long harassed by severe pains along the course 

 of the nerves of the neck and back, in connection with chronic organic disease of 

 the spinal cord, told me he experienced more relief from friction with this oil than 

 from any other external application he had tried ; and a medical friend, much 

 subject to lumbago, assured me that no other substance he had made use of, pro- 

 duced so penetrating a glow of heat. On the whole, the Grass Oil seems to be 

 an article well deserving investigation in many respects." 



The Oil of Andropogon has an agreeable smell, which is not, however, the same 

 in all specimens. It has sometimes a greenish, more frequently a yellowish 

 colour. The specimen whose analysis will be given immediately, had a green 

 colour, resembling that of Cajeput. It had a smell similar to that of malt,* and 



* The finest qualities of it, including that examined by the Author, have a grateful, penetrating, diffusive 

 odour, more or less approaching the fragranc^ of oil of roses ; so that I suspect this to be one of the oils 

 used for adulterating that costly essence. Note by Dr CHRISTISON. 



VOL. XV. PART IV. 8 K 



