350 ODOROGRAPHIA. 



decanted and distilled off as with the other oils. It is pale yellow, 

 lighter than water, easily soluble in alcohol and ether.* 



Ferment oil of Erica vulgaris. The fresh herb is treated as 

 above, the distillate is cohobated and repeatedly distilled after 

 addition of common salt, then shaken up with ether and the ether 

 carefully distilled off from the dissolved oil. The oil is greenish- 

 yellow, mobile, lighter than water, with a peculiar odour and sweet, 

 aromatic, burning taste. It reddens litmus paper and burns with 

 a clear, blue-edged flame without leaving any residue.f 



Ferment oil of Marrubium vulgare. The comminuted herb 

 is soaked in water and exposed to the sun, whereby it acquires an 

 offensive odour ; the liquid is then distilled, the distillate saturated 

 with common salt : the flocks thereby separated are collected on a 

 filter and dissolved in ether and the ether slowly evaporated. The 

 oil is lighter than water, has a peculiar sweet, ethereal odour, and 

 an aromatic, slightly biting taste. It burns without leaving any 

 residue. " AVith chlorine water it emits an odour of roses. It 

 dissolves in aqueous alkalies and in water." :|: 



Ferment oil of Achillea millefolium (''Milfoil" or common 

 " Yarrow "). The fresh flowering plant is macerated in water and 

 left to ferment ; the whole is distilled with cohobation. The blue 

 oil which floats on the distillate is removed; the residual water, 

 after addition of common salt, is agitated with ether and the ether 

 which separates is evaporated off. It is a yellow-brown oil having 

 a slightly aromatic odour and an aromatic, bitter, rather sharp 

 taste. It dissolves in alcohol, ether and oils fixed and volatile. 



Ferment oil of various species of PlantagO. The plantain leaves 

 are macerated, fermented, and distilled as above, and the distillate 

 exhausted with ether in the same way. It is a yellow, transparent 

 oil with an ethereal odour and an aromatic, sweet, burning taste. 

 It is very volatile. AVith fuming nitric acid it turns brown, with 

 rise in temperature. The solution first becomes greenish-yellow, 

 with milky turbidity, then clear, smells like artificial musk and 

 has a very bitter taste. It dissolves in alcohol, ether and oils.§ 



* Bley, N. Br. Archiv. xxx., p. 167. 

 t Bley, N. Br. Archiv., xxxi., p. 302. 

 X Bley, N. Br. Archiv., x., p. 67. 

 § Bley, N. Br. Archiv., xl., p. 130. 



