278 NOTES ON AUSTRALIAN ECONOMIC BOTANY, 



PERFUMES AND ESSENTIAL OILS. 



Ceratopetalum apetalum, D. Don. N.O. Saxifragese. 

 The bark smells very strongly of Coumarin, and a small slab 

 of this is therefore useful for scenting linen presses, ifec. 1 announced 

 the isolation of Coumarin two years ago, and Messrs. Schimmel 

 and Co., of Leipzig, the celebrated essential oil firm, have confirmed 

 my observation. {Bericht, April 1890, p. 51). 



Eucalyptus maculata, Hook., var. citriodora. N.O. Myrtacese. 



The " Citron-scented Gum." 



I wish to draw attention to the enterpiise of Mr. A. Jefferies 

 Timbury, a phai'maceutical chemist of Gladstone, Queensland, who 

 is pluckily entering into the preparation of this oil. Besides the 

 ordinary commercial oil, he makes a refined or i-ectitied article of 

 great elegance. While it has the well-known odour of Cilronella 

 oil, there is at the back of it a delicious turpentinous odour ; and 

 my feeling in regard to this Australian product is this (apart from 

 its use as a simple perfume for soap, &c.), that in cases in which 

 the use of Eucalyptus oil is desirable, people may now have the 

 option of a sweet-smelling article, though the perfume of ordinary 

 Eucalyptus oil ( amygdalina, d-c), is by no means disagreeable. It 

 is small credit to the scientific men of Australia that the first 

 complete chemical investigation of this Australian oil (citriodora) 

 has been made at Leipzig in Germany. 



SUBSTANCES REPUTED MEDICINAL. 



DoRYPHORA sassafras, Bndl. N.O. Monimiacese. 



The bark of this " New South Wales Sassafras " is used as a 

 tonic medicine. Dr. T. L. Bancroft, of Brisbane, obligingly 

 informs me that he has tried it on frogs, and found it to be inert. 

 The same observer also writes that the bitter bark of Geijera 

 salicifolia, Schott, N.O. Rutacese, a " Wilga," is physiologically 

 inert, or practically so. He makes a similar observation in regard 

 to the Goodenias, and also in regard to Gratiola pedunculata, E-.Br. 



