CALIFORNIA BAY. 65 



diice a headache in those who are well and to cure those who are 

 afflicted with it." Some description of the tree was given by 

 Heaney in 1875 at a meeting of the Philadelphia College of 

 Pharmacy,* who states that all parts of the tree abound in volatile 

 oil, but particularly the leaves, which contain 4 per cent. He 

 submitted this oil to chemical examinationf and found it to be 

 composed of a hydrocarbon and an oxygenated oil which he calls 

 oreodaphnol, in the proportion of one part of the former to two 

 parts of the latter. The crude oil is limpid, of a straw colour, 

 pungent aromatic odour and warm camphoraceous taste. It is 

 soluble in 1,000 parts of water, mixes in all proportions in alcohol 

 and ether, has a sp. gr. of 0-936 and burns with a bright light, 

 smoky Hame, leaving a carbonaceous residue. When inhaled it 

 produces dizziness and headache, and is recommended for inhalation 

 in nervous headache and nasal catarrh. 



TJie pure hydrocarbon obtained by fractional distillation, boils 

 at 175^ C, has a sp. gr. of 0-894 at 15^ C, is colourless and 

 limpid, of agreeable aromatic odour, bearing some resemblance to 

 a mixture of camphor and oil of nutmegs, and a taste like that of 

 cardamom ; it is highly inflammable, burning with a brilliant 

 slightly smoky flame ; is nearly insoluble in water ; soluble in 

 five volumes of 95 per cent, alcohol, and dissolves iodine slowly, 

 acquiring a deep red colour. Xitric acid causes a violent reaction 

 and destroys its odour completely. 



Oreoda'phnol, the oxygenated portion (on which the pungent 

 odour of the crude oil depends) was obtained between 175^ and 

 220° C. It is oily in consistence, of a light straw colour, pungent 

 and penetrating odour, and hot camphoraceous taste. Its sp. gr. is 

 0-960 and it boils at 210° C. It burns readily with a bright flame, 

 giving off pungent vapours and leaving a carbonaceous residue. 

 When distilled with glacial phosphoric acid in an atmosphere of 

 dry hydrogen, a light straw-coloured liquid is produced, which has 

 a sp. gr. of 934, boils at 204° C, burns with a white flame and 

 has no reaction with sodium. This liquid was named Oreoclaphnene. 

 The character and composition of this oil were examined by Still- 



* Am. Journ. I'harm., pp. 105-109. 



t The method of investif]fation adopted was that recommended by Frederick 

 Kochleder in his work on " The Proximate analysis of Plants and Vegetable 

 Substances." See also Pharm. Journ. [3], v. p. 792. 

 F 



