l62 



ESSENTIAL OIL. -Leaves and branchlets for oil distillation were obtained 

 from Bungendore, N.S.W., in July, 1898. The yield of oil was i-i per cent. 

 The crude oil was of a light amber colour, and had an odour resembling those of 

 the cineol-pinene class. The presence of pinene in the oil was determined, but 

 it is evident that the dextro-rotatory form does not predominate to any great 

 extent ; phellandrene was absent. The sesquiterpene was present in small 

 amount. One peculiarity of the oil of this species is, that the right rotation of 

 the crude oil is greater than that of the first fraction, thus indicating the presence 

 of a constituent in the higher boiling portion which has right rotation. This 

 peculiarity of rotation is of rare occurrence in Eucalyptus oils, because, generally, 

 it is the pinenes or the phellandrene that determine the optical rotation of the 

 oil, and, of course, these low-boiling terpenes come over first on distillation, so 

 that, in most cases, the rotation of the first fraction of dextro-rotatory 

 Eucalyptus oils is higher than that of the crude oil. This constituent is present 

 in several of the oils at this end of the group (E. Rossii and others), and is 

 eudesmol in the liquid form. (See the article dealing with this substance.) 



The crude oil had specific gravity at 15 C. = 0-9158 ; rotation a D + 3-35; 

 refractive index at 20 = 1-4684, and was soluble in if volumes 70 per cent, 

 alcohol. The saponification number for the esters and free acid was 21-3. 



On rectification 2 per cent, distilled below 170 C. (corr.). Between 170- 

 188, 87 per cent, distilled; between 188-7235, 5 per cent, distilled. These 

 fractions gave the following results : 



First fraction, sp. gr. at 15 C. = 0-9075 ; rotation D + 3-0. 

 Second ,, ,, ,, = 0-9176; ,, not taken. 



The cineol, determined in the crude oil by the phosphoric acid method, was 

 46 per cent. (O.M.). 



Material of this species was also obtained at Towrang, N.S.W., in October, 

 1900. The oil was similar in character to that from Bungendore, although at 

 this time of the year it had a higher specific gravity, a less amount of ester, and 

 contained a greater proportion of cineol. It showed the same peculiarity in optical 

 rotation and had the same solubility in alcohol. 



The specific gravity at 15 = 0-92-29; rotation a u + 2-3; saponification 

 number 8-7, and was soluble in ij volumes 70 per cent, alcohol. 



The cineol, determined in the crude oil by the phosphoric acid method, 

 was 58 per cent. (O.M.). 



The above samples were mixed together, stored in the dark, and in 

 November, 1919, the oil was again analysed. Very little alteration had taken 

 place during the nineteen years it had been kept, except that the specific 

 gravity had increased somewhat, and apparent!}- the cineol a little also, 

 although this alteration was not so pronounced as with the crude oils of some 

 species. 82 per cent, distilled below 190 C. The crude oil and the rectified 

 portion gave the following result : 



Crude oil, sp. gr. at 15 C. = 0-9433; rotation a D + 3-7; refractive index 



at 20 : 1-4688. 

 Large fraction ,, ,, = 0-9182; rotation <r D + 2-4; refractive index 



at 20 = 1-46,24. 



The cineol was determined by the resorcinol method in the rectified 

 portion, and calculated for the crude oil ; the result was 65 per cent. By the 

 rapid phosphoric acid method it was 55 per cent, when calculated for the 

 crude oil. 



