85 
Theory. Experiment. 
Carbon = 86,48 — 86,33 
Hydrogen = 11,27 — 11,44 
Oxygen = 2,25 — 2,23 
These three oils, therefore, have the same hydrogen and 
carbon, and differ only in the two latter having absorbed 
small, but perfectly definite quantities of oxygen. 
Oil of the lavendula spica, boiling at 365° F., gave as 
result, the formula cj, u,,0, or per cent. 
Theory. Experiment. 
Carbon = 80,35 — 79,45 
Hydrogen = 10,90 — 11,30 
Oxygen = 8,75 — 9,25 
The oil of peppermint had been analyzed by Blanchet 
and Sell, who obtained results, giving the formula c,,1,,0, 
which has been found above for oil of lavender. As their 
analyses were only two in number, and are given in the 
Journal de Pharmacie without any explanatory detail, Pro- 
fessor Kane thought it not superfluous to add to the above 
experiments a confirmation of their results. On purifying oil 
of peppermint of commerce, (having selected the foreign oil 
that it might be more probably what they had examined,) 
Professor Kane found that the more it was rectified and the 
earlier condensed the specimens analyzed were, the more 
the boiling point approached to 314°, and the composi- 
tion to the formula c,u, The difference between this 
result and that of Blanchet and Sell is too great to be ex- 
plained by an error in the analyses of chemists whose other 
labours have shown such accuracy in quantitative research : 
Professor Kane accordingly thinks it not improbable, that 
there are two oils of peppermint of different compositions, 
and he is now occupied in seeking amongst the commercial 
samples for that with which the other chemists had been 
engaged, —— 
