LIGNUM SANTALI. 603 



the temperature quickly rose to 255°, the oil acquiring a darker luie. 

 Oil of sandal wood varies much in the strength and character of its 

 aroina, according to the sort of wood from which it is produced. 



The oil as largely prepared by Messrs. Schimmel vt Co., in a column 

 100 millimetres long, deviates the plane of polaiization 18"G° to the h ft. 

 Oil of Venezuela sandal wood, from the same distillers, examined in the 

 same manner, deviates 6°'75 to the right. 



From the wood, treated with boiling alcohol, we obtainod about 

 7 per cent, of a blackish extract, from which a tannatc ^vas precipitated 

 by alcoholic solution of acetate of lead. Decomposed by sulphuretted 

 hydrogen, the tannate yielded a tannic acid having but little colour, and 

 striking a greenish hue with a ferric salt. The extract also contained a 

 dark resin. 



Commerce— The greatest trade in sandal wood is in China, which 

 country in the year 1866 imported at the fourteen treaty ports then open 

 87,321 peculs, equivalent to 5,197 tons; of this vast quantity the city of 

 Hankow on the river Yangtsze, received no less than 61,414 peculs, or 

 more than seven times as much as any other port.^ The imports into 

 Hankow have recently been much smaller, namely, 14,980 peculs in is< 1 

 and 12,798 peculs in 1872.2 On the other hand, Shanghai lying near 

 the mouth of the same groat river, imported in 1872, 59,485 peculs of 

 sandal wood, the estiriiated value of which was about £100,000. In 

 1877 the imports of all China were 72,934 peculs. 



A considerable trade in sandal wood is done in Bombay, the ouantity 

 imported thither annually being about 650 tons, and the annual export 



about 400 tons.' , , x i * 



Oil of sandal wood is largely manfactured on the ghats be ween 

 Mangalore and Mysore, where fuel for the stills is abundant. Otticial 

 returns* represent the quantity of the oil imported mto ^^'^^^H'l 

 the year 1872-73 as 10,348 lbs., value £8,374; 4,500 lbs. were rc-cxportcd 

 by sea. 



Uses-The essential oil has of late been prescribed as ^^ubstitute 

 for copaiba, otherwise sandal wood has hardly any "'^f J" ^^^^^ 

 European medicine. It is employed as a perfume and for the t^nn 

 cation of small articles of ornament. Among the nati es of In ha 

 it is largely consumed in the celebration of sermlchra re. .^^^^ 

 Hindus shoVing their respect for a departed relative ^7 ^^^^"^ ^^^ 

 sandal wood to'the funereal pile. The powder of ^^e ;<>od ^a^^^^^^^ 

 paste with water is used for making the caste mark, ^^^^^^^^^^^ J^^^^^ 

 purposes. The consumption of sandal wood m Chma appears to 

 principally for the incense used in the temples. 



^7- f^r- m71 (x) 50) and 1S72 <PP- ''2. 

 ' n^'porfs on Trade at the ports in China Chm for ISi 1 (P- I 



OiKu to foreirjn trade for 18G6, published by ^^i\.,^, .i,e official document <iuot«l at 

 order of the Inspector-General of Customs, ' .^^f^^'^!:^ 



Shanghai, 1867. 120. 121.-0ne pecul P- ''^1' "'''^ool 



_133i It. 

 ■ Comme 



See p. 333, note 3, 



