320 



Iii the first edition of this work this Eucalypt does not appear, because it 

 was not possible at thai time to procure materia] for distillation, as the species 

 -rows in country not easy of access. Efforts since made to procure material 

 for investigation have been successful, and through the kindness of the late Mr. 

 Ingham, the Queensland distiller, and Mr. J. L. Adams, Chemist, of Cooktown, 

 leaves were collected on the Palmer River, Queensland. They had to be brought 

 many miles by carrier to the nearest railway station, then forwarded to Cooktown, 

 and afterwards by sea to Sydney. 



The principal terpene occurring in the oil of this species was lsevo-rotatory 

 Limonene, and both pinene and phellandrene appeared to be absent. Cineol 

 could not be detected. The oil had some resemblance in its physical properties 

 to lemon oil, the optical activity, however, being in the reverse direction. The 

 amount of citral was not great, although more abundant than in lemon oil, but 

 does not correspond in this respect to the oil of Backhousia citriodora or even 

 to that obtained from Leptospermum Liversidgei (Proc. Roy. Soc. N.S.W., December, 

 1905). The amount of free alcohol (most probably geraniol) was somewhat large, 

 and the secondary odour of the oil, when freed from the aldehydes, resembled 

 that of geraniol very markedly. The ester was most probably wholly geranyl- 

 acetate, particularly as this substance occurs plentifully in Eucalyptus oils. The 

 high refractive index of the higher-boiling portion indicated that the sesquiterpene 

 was also present, although the results do not allow room for much of that con- 

 stituent. The crude oil was of a light lemon colour, was mobile, and very aromatic, 

 the citral and free geraniol combining to give it a pleasant and refreshing odour, 

 without the slightest resemblance to that of ordinary Eucalyptus oil as known in 

 pharmacy. 



The material, which consisted of leaves and terminal branchlets, had been 

 more carefully collected than would be the case commercially, and as the leaves 

 were quite dry, the yield may be considered a maximum one. Thirty-one 

 ounces of oil were obtained from 78 lb. of material, equal to 2-48 per cent. 

 It may reasonably be supposed that the oil of this species will eventually 

 become of some commercial importance when better known. Comparative tests 

 for flavouring purposes with the rectified product compared very favourably 

 with the best lemon oil, both for culinary purposes and in the manufacture of 

 lemonades. 



The crude oil had specific gravity at 15 C. = 0-8715 ; rotation <?„ - - 37-53° ; 

 refractive index at 20 = 1-4814, and was soluble in 8 volumes 80 per cent, 

 alcohol. Saponification number for esters and free acid was 8-6. 



On rectification, only a few drops came over below 175° C. (corr.). Between 

 175-193°, 65 per cent, distilled; between ig3-265°,23 per cent, distilled; at higher 

 temperature the distillate was quite acid. These fractions gave the following 

 results : — 



First fraction, sp. gr. at 15° C. = 0-857; refractive index at 20° = 1-4774. 



Second ,, ,, ,, = 0-8888; refractive index at 20° = 1-4822. 



The portion boiling below 193 was again fractionated. Nothing came 

 over below 175° C. (corr.), but 40 per cent, of the fraction distilled between 

 175-177°, and 23 per cent, between 177-179° ; between 179-184° 17 per cent, 

 distilled. These fractions gave the following results : — 



First fraction, sp. gr. at 15° C. =0-852; rotation a D - 66-2°; refractive 



index at 20° = 1-4764. 



Second ,, ,, ,, = 0-8585; rotation a„ - - 64-8°; refractive 



index at 20° = 1-4791. 



Third ,, ,. — 0-8586; rotation a D - - 60-9°; refractive 



index at 20° = 1-4799. 



