THE CHERRY-LAUREL. 185 
chiefly of orthonitrotoluene, while the intermediate fractions 
contain some of the meta-compound *. 
Tue CuHerry-LaAvuRreEL. 
The Cherry-Laurel, Cerasus Laurocerasus, syn. Prunus Lauro- 
cerasus, Linn., is a native of the Levant, Caucasus, the mountains 
of Persia, and the Crimea. ‘The varieties of this evergreen shrub 
form bushes 6 to 10 feet high. Several of them have been natu- 
ralized in England as ornamental shrubs and for the preparation 
of the aqueous distillate. The Colchican laurel (P. L. Colchica) is 
a hardy dwarf spreading bush, with narrow, sharply serrated, pale- 
green leaves; the Versailles laurel (P. ZL. latifolia), with large 
leaves; the P. L. rotundifolia, with short broad leaves; the 
Grecian, with very narrow leaves; the Alexandrian, with very 
small leaves; and the Caucasian (P. L. Caucasica), which is 
superior to them all, being not only the most robust and hardy, 
but yielding the largest quantity of volatile oil of any of these 
varieties, 75 grammes per 50 kilos; this is a vigorous grower, and is 
easily propagated from cuttings planted in September in a sheltered 
situation. 
Cherry-laurel water is used medicinally ; but it is a dangerous 
medicament, owing to the uncertain quantity of hydrocyanic acid 
it may contain. The officinal preparation is directed to be made 
by distilling 1 Ib. of the leaves with 2} lbs. of water and drawing 
over | pint of distillate. Perinelle+ has pomted out the importance 
of always ascertaining the strength of aq. lauwrocerasi before it is 
placed in stock. His experiments have led him to the conclusion that 
the strength of the liquid in hydrocyanic acid will vary considerably 
according to the time of year at which it is prepared and to the 
variety of the cherry-laurel employed. The two periods of the 
year when the leaves are most readily obtained in quantity in 
England are May and November, when the shrubberies are clipped. 
The water distilled in May yielded only 39 milligrammes of hydro- 
* Toluene, C,H,CH,, which on the Continent is called Toluol, is a strongly 
refractive liquid possessing a smell similar to that of benzene (which in French 
is called benzol). It is obtained on the large scale from light coal-tar oil, and 
is chiefly employed in the colour industry. 
+ Rép. de Pharmacie, Aug. 1887, p, 331. 
