44)4; Dr. Kane o« the Composition of certain Essential Oils, 



V. Oil of Spearmint. — {Mentha viridis.) 



The oil of spearmint is stated by Brande to have a specific 

 gravity 0"939. That which I found in commerce had, in the 

 rough state, a specific gravity 0-9142, and when freed by 

 distillation of a considerable quantity of stearopten, 0'876. 

 It boiled pretty constantly at 320° Fahr. It gave by analysis 

 as follows : 



A. Material = 0*3087 gramme gave 



Water = 0-311 



Carbonic acid = 0*954 



B. Material = 0*350 gramme gave 



Water = 0*350 



Carbonic acid = 1*075 



C. Material = 0*4284 gramme gave 



Water = 0*439 



Carbonic acid = 1*327 

 Hence the per cent, composition : 



A. B. C. 



Carbon = 85*44 84*94 85*66"| 



Hydrogen = 11*19 11*11 11*38 )■ lOO'O 



Oxygen = 3*36 3*95 2*96 J 

 These results give the formula C35 Hgg O ; that is, 



C35 = 214*9 85*671 



H28 = 28*0 11*15 Y 100*0 



O = 8*0 3-18 



250*9 100*0 



This formula, like that of oil of origanum, may be repre- 

 sented by a multiple of oil of turpentine -foxy gen = 7{C5 H4} 

 -f O. It is however impossible to make any deduction from 

 these facts with respect to its nature. 



VI. Oil of Lavender. — {Lavandula spica.) 



The oil of lavender is remarkable for containing, probably, 

 more stearopten than any other essential oil, the quantity 

 itself being variable with the season and with the climate. 

 Thus, in the oil from the south of Europe (Murcia), it is said 

 to amount to more than one-half its weight, and I have often 

 found a fourth of the English oil to remain behind on distil- 

 lation, so loaded with stearopten as to become quite solid on 

 cooling. These circumstances, — the quantity of solid matter, 

 and its not differing very much in volatility from the oil, — 

 present great obstacles to the obtaining oil of lavender in an 

 absolutely pure condition. 



