MINT. 205 



of heat, the finer and more natural m odour and flavour it will be. 

 The English process of distillation with water, in stills of primitive 

 construction, is too slow, the product being injured by the formation 

 of empyreumatic products and partially decomposed by the 

 prolonged action of heat, the stills being too deep in proportion to 

 their width. The American method, although rapid, is injurious 

 to the oil, as too much heat is developed by the steam at the 

 pressure above indicated. The attention of buyers should be 

 directed to the oil distilled in Germany, a country in which the 

 most careful attention is given to all essential oils. 



Peppermint is also very largely distilled in Japan and to some 

 extent in China. Specimens of these plants have been obtained 

 and carefully examined by Mr. Holmes,* who found them to 

 possess the botanical characters of Mentha arveiisis, as defined in 

 De Candolle's "Prodromus;" the leaves being slalked, ovate- 

 lanceolate, and the hairs on the stems and pedicels reflexed, those 

 of the calyx being erecto-patent, and those of the upper surface of 

 the leaf appressed, the calyx being bell-shaped with acute lanceolate 

 or narrowly-triangular teeth. The Chinese plant differs from the 

 Japanese one, in the leaves being narrower in proportion to their 

 length and in the calyx teeth being shorter and more broadly 

 triangular. In outline, the leaves of both plants taper more to the 

 base and have a longer petiole than the English forms of M. 

 arvcnsis, coming yqvj near to M. Canadensis in this feature. The 

 latter plant, however, has spreading hairs on the stem. Mr. 

 Holmes remarks, in recapitulation of his elaborate study of this 

 subject that, " for convenience, the name of Mentha arvcnsis var- 

 piperascejis should be retained for the Japanese peppermint plant 

 and that of Mentha arvcnsis var. glabrata for the Chinese one." 



The total production of Peppermint oil in Japan in 1892 has 

 been estimated at about 50,000 pounds weight. The export of 

 crude menthol from Japan in 1891, amounted to 22,017 pounds. 



The yield of the 1893 crop is estimated at 30,000 catties or 

 40,000 of normal oil, consisting half of menthol crystals and half 

 of liquid oil. 



The Japanese peppermint plant has proved to be perfectly 

 hardy in England, having been grown at Colchester, and there 

 produced seed.f 



* Phann. Journ. [3], xiii., p. 3S1. 



t Gardeners' Chronicle, 21st May, 1887. 



