ESSENTIAL OILS. 19> 



The authorities of the Imperial Institute report from enquiries 

 they had made, that the value of the oil in London is judged to be 

 from 7d. to 9|d. per ounce, and that if the high percentage of citral 

 was maintained, probably the higher price mentioned could be 

 secured. If the leaves of this tree alone are used for distillation, 

 the results can be relied upon, and judging from the price obtain- 

 able for Eucalyptus oils yielding even a less amount of oil than does 

 this tree, it can be readily seen how profitable its production should 

 be, as it is not more difificult to distil the oil from the leaves of this 

 plant than from those of other eucalyptus trees. The amount of 

 lemon-grass oil exported from the Malabar Coast of India is about 

 3000 cases annually, each of two gallons. Here again the demand 

 might be expected to increase if a cheaper article were produced. 



(b) Eucalyptus Staigeriana. — This small tree, the " Lemon- 

 scented Ironbark," is, so far as known, restricted to certain parts 

 of Queensland. The material, 78 lb. of leaves and terminal 

 branchlets, from which the Museum results were obtained, was 

 sent from the Palmer River, in that State, and was obtained 

 through the kindness of Mr. J. L. Adams, of Cooktown. As it had 

 to come such a great distance it was naturally quite dry, so that the 

 yield of oil may be considered a maximum one. The yield was 

 equal to 2-484 per cent., a result agreeing with that previously 

 given,^ where this tree is stated to yield 2f per cent, of an oil 

 having a specific gravity 901. An investigation of the oil of 

 E. Staigeriana was carried out by Schimmel & Co.- It 

 is there stated to have a specific gravity 0"880 and the boiling 

 point from 170*^ to 230°C. There is no evidence to show how 

 long the oil had been distilled before investigation, as in both 

 the above cases the specific gravity is higher than that of the 

 Museum sample, and oils of this class are very liable to change 

 on keeping. 



The oil is a remarkable one to be derived from the Eucalypts, 

 as when rectified it has a strong resemblance to lemon oil, although 

 the crude oil is a little more aromatic. It is very probable that 

 when the oil is properly prepared by steam rectification or other 

 methods, it will be much utilised as a flavouring agent for culinary 

 and other purposes, and thus largely take the place of lemon oil 

 in many directions. It could be prepared very much more cheaply 

 than is possible with lemon oil, the yield being so great. If the 

 tree was systematically cultivated, an oil could be easily produced 

 at about Is. or ls.6d. per pound, containing 16 per cent, of citral, 

 and even at that price it should pay very well, judging from the 

 present cost of producing other Eucalyptus oils. 



The Museum results of the investigation of the crude oil of 

 this tree were published in the Pharmaceutical Journal, May 19, 

 1906, so that only the more salient points will be given here. The 



:See Christ)''s New Commercial Plants and Drugs, 9, 14-15 : ako Abst. Journ. Soc. Chem. Ind . 



1886, p. 436. 

 Semi-Annual Report, .^pril, 1888. 



