OLEtJM CAJUPUTI. 270 



quoted earlier than 1813, when the price given iy Ss. to 3s. GJ. per 

 ounce, with a duty of 2s. 4JcZ. per ounce. 



Manufacture — In the island of Bouro, in the Mohicca Sea, the 

 leaves of the Kayu-puti or Aij-puti, i.e. White-wood trees, arc s\ih- 

 mitted to distillation with water, the operation being conducted in the 

 most primitive manner, as already witnessed, about the year 1792, by 



ire in his celebrated voyaoe with Laperouse. Bickmorc,' an 



Labillardi 



in 



states that it produces about 8,000 bottles of the oil annually, and 

 that this is almost its only export. The Trade Returns of the 

 Straight Settlements published at Singapore, show that the largest 

 quantity is shipped from Celebes, the great island lying west of Bouro. 



Description — Oil of Cajuput is a transparent mobile fluid, of a 

 light bluish-green hue, a fragrant camphoraceous odour, and bitterish 

 aromatic taste. It has a sp. gr. of 0926, and remains liquid even at 

 (8°-6 F.) —13° 0. It deviates the ray of polarized light to the left. On 

 diluting it with bisulphide of carbon it becomes turbid. 



Chemical Composition— The researches of Schmidl (1860) and 

 of Gladstone (1872) have shown that cajuput oil consists chiefly of 

 Hydrate of Gajuputene or Gajuputol, C^H'^H^O, wliich may be 

 obtained from the crude oil by fractional distillation at 174° 0. If 

 it is repeatedly distilled from anhydrous phosphoric acid, Cojvj^,dteite, 



IT*, passes over at 160-165° C; it has an agreeable odour of 



hyacinths. After the cajuputene, Isocajuput 



Panicajuputene at 310-316", both agreeing in composition with 



cajuputene. 



Like most essential oils having the formula C'-H'', crude cajuput 



oil is canable of form in or \h(^ prvstallizcd couiDOund C^"ff°, 30H^. This 



we have abundantly obtained by mixing 4 parts of the oil with lot 

 alcohol 0-830 sp. gr., and one part of nitric acid 1-20 sp. gr.; the mix- 

 ture should be allowed to stand in shallow dishes. By adding 1 vol. 

 of absolute alcohol to 3 vol. of cajuput oil, and satiu'ating ^it with 

 anhydrous hydrochloric gas, crystals of the compound C H (HOI)- 

 Jnay be obtained. By vapour of bromine the oil acquires a beautiful 



weeks 



gi'een colour. 



If 1 part of iodine be gradually dissolved in cajuput oil, the 

 temperature being maintained at 50^ C, fine green crystals ot 

 (C "H^«H I) -^OH^ are formed. They may be recrystal 

 httle glacial acetic acid, but will not keep for more th? ^ 



The green tint of the oil is due to copper, a mmutc proportion ot 

 which metal is usually present in all that is imported. It may be 

 Daade evident by agitating the oil with water acidulated by a little Jiyiro- 

 chloric acid. The compoimds of copper with inorganic acids being com- 

 paratively of a fainter colour than the cupric salts of organic acids, 

 fl^e aqueous solution of chloride of copper now forme^ displays no 

 longer the fine green tint. 



as 



f Platmum capsule, a little zinc should be added, when the copper will 

 t'e immediately deposited on the platinum. The liquid may be then 

 poured off- and the copper dissolved and tested. When the oil is 

 rectified, it is obtained colourless, but it readily becomes green if m 



1 '/' 



TraveU in the East Indian Archipelago, Lon-l. 1868. 282. 



