206 ODOROGRAPHIA. 



German Pejyj^e^vnint oil. Plantations of peppermint have 

 recently been established at Miltitz, in the vicinity of Leipzig, by 

 Messrs. Schimmel & Co., who state that they have selected a 

 particularly fine and valuable kind of the herb for cultivation, and 

 that the distillation is effected by improved methods, using fresh 

 and carefully picked leaves. The oil is of the same type as the 

 best English article, very powerful and without bitter after-taste, 

 and is characterised by its great solul^ility, caused by the low 

 proportion of terpenes present. This oil is packed in original half- 

 kilo bottles with a special label. Thus, it is at length possible to 

 procure peppermint oil in a state of purity. 



A small quantity of peppermint is also produced in France, at 

 Sens, in the Departement of the Yonne, and it has been grown 

 very successfully at Auzin in the Departement du Nord, the soil 

 of which district, although sandy and producing a less vigorous 

 growth of the plant than does richer and moister soil, yet 

 developes a more delicate aroma in this oil and in that of other 

 aromatic labiate plants. M. Hanart, the proprietor of the 

 plantations of aromatic herbs in this district, carries on the 

 manufacture of oil of peppermint to a considerable extent, and his 

 land produces annually between three and four tons of peppermint 

 herb per acre, yielding about 18 pounds of oil per acre. In this 

 district the crop is cut earlier than in England, and before the 

 flower appears. It is made up into little cocks and left on the 

 field several days ; then, after all admixture of other herbs has 

 been removed, the entire plants are packed into the stills, which 

 are of about 60 gallons capacity, and heated by steam jackets or 

 spirals. The distillation is carried on as rapidly as possible, in 

 order not to acquire a herbaceous taste. The oil is of pale greenish 

 yellow and of very agreeable odour. It is then purified by several 

 washings with cold water, and exposed to the air during some 

 weeks in a cool, dark place. After this it is rectified and then 

 tept in bottles secluded from light and air for some years before 

 being sent to market. The oil of peppermint so prepared is 

 alleged to successfully rival the finest English oil in quality. 



The northernmost part in which peppermint and spearmint are 

 •cultivated is Norway. 



Peppermint oil owes its value to the solid compound termed 

 menthol, C^oHooO, or Menthyl alcohol (frequently expressed 

 C^o Hi9 OH). Cxaubius, in the year 1771, was the first to observe 



