462 



d Other Uses. — Besides the applications enumerated above, the various 

 Eucalyptus oils are utilised in other directions, and find employment in the 

 manufacture of a large number of proprietary articles, as well as in the soap- 

 making industry, the preparation of disinfectants, and as solvents. 



As far back as 1862 a number of experiments were undertaken to determine 

 the value of Eucalyptus oils as solvents for resins, and a table is published in the 

 Technologist, 1863, p. 13, giving a list of these results. Experiments were also 

 carried out at that time to investigate their use for illumination instead of 

 kerosene, and with considerable success. 



As illustrating the possibility of manufacturing new products from various 

 Eucalyptus oil constituents, piperitone may be mentioned ; this ketone occurs so 

 abundantly in the oils of some species, E. dives particularly, that it could be 

 supplied iii tons if required, consequently it can be produced at a comparatively 

 low price. It has been shown that thymol can readily be manufactured from 

 it, and menthone also, consequently it should not be a very difficult problem 

 to produce menthol in commercial quantities from Eucalyptus oil. 



This result is an illustration of the economic possibilities which the 

 constituents of Eucalyptus oils offer for scientific research, and for manufac- 

 turing purposes. (See also the article on piperitone in this work.) 



The economic use to which the water remaining in the tanks and digesters, 

 after the leaves have been distilled, might also be mentioned. This residual water 

 contains a considerable amount of tannin and other substances extracted during 

 the distillation, and has been found a useful substance for the prevention of 

 scale in boilers. At some of the distilleries this water is concentrated by 

 evaporation, and placed on the market in that condition. 



The ash of the leaves has manurial value, and contains a good percentage 

 of potash and phosphoric acid. The commercial ash obtained by burning 

 the spent leaves of E. polybractea, at Wyalong, N.S.W., gave us the following 

 results after fully carbonating ; calculated on anhydrous material. 



The potash, as K 2 0, was thus 17-97 per cent., and the phosphoric acid, 

 as P 2 5 , 3-87 per cent. 



In the Bulletin of the Imperial Institute, Vol. xvn, No. 3, p. 284, 

 will be found an analysis of the ash of the young leaves and twigs of E. 

 globulus. The potash in this, as K„0, was 10-5 per cent., and the phosphoric 

 acid, as P,0 5 , 235 per cent., whilst over 50 per cent, of the ash consisted of 

 calcium carbonate. 



