170 



REMARKS. This is an addition to our former book on the subject, the species not having been discrimi- 

 nated at that time. It was described before the Royal Society, New South Wales, vol. 49, p. 514. as a new species, 

 as the result of our work on the Eucalypts of Tasmania, when it was stated that E. umy^dalina, a species under which 

 this tree has been grouped in the past, was restricted to that Island, and did not occur on the mainland as previously 

 supposed. It is hoped that the separation of this and one or two Eucalypts from those previously named as h. 

 amygdalina will lead to clearing up the confusion, both batanically and chemically, that has been so prominent 

 in the past. 



ESSENTIAL OIL. The production of an excellent pharmaceutical 

 Eucalyptus oil from this species depends largely upon a fact which was recorded 

 in the first edition of this work, 1902, p. 170. We there showed that by 

 fractional separation at stated times during the primary distillation, an oil richer 

 in cineol could be obtained, particularly if the portion which came over during 

 the first hour were separated. The cineol in this way was more easily obtained 

 than were the alcoholic bodies and other higher boiling constituents in the leaf. 

 By taking advantage of this property, and working the trees growing at Nerri- 

 gundah, Yourie, and neighbouring districts of New South Wales in this way, it 

 has been possible to produce an oil of a fairly constant character, high in cineol 

 content, and conforming readily to the requirements demanded for a first-class 

 pharmaceutical Eu; alyptus oil. The results have been so satisfactory thai the 

 species is, at the above localities, now worked in this way, the " first hour oil ' 

 being sold for pharmaceutical purposes, the remainder being employed for 

 mineral separation and for other industrial uses. The chemical results obtained 

 with this oil, separated as nearly as possible one hour after commencing to distil, 

 are remarkably constant, so much so that it is not difficult to decide whether the 

 time of separation had been extended beyond the hour. (See the article " The 

 comparative constancy of the oil products from individual species of Eucalyptus.") 

 The remarkably high yield of oil given by this species enables this method 

 of working to be profitably undertaken, and the quantity of oil obtained during 

 the first hour is as great as that from many other cineol producing species when 

 these are distilled right out. The " second hour oil " thus becomes practically a 

 subsidiary product, and as it contains a good quantity of terpineol with some 

 geraniol, finds uses in other directions. Little advantage appears to be derived 

 from distilling the leaves for a longer period than two hours, as the amount of 

 oil obtained is but small. The " first hour oil " when properly prepared, is 

 water-white, which fact appears to be due to the presence of the liquid phenol, 

 Tasmanol common to this group of Eucalypts. This phenol contains a methoxy 

 group, a constitution which does not tend to the formation of a yellow colour, as 

 is the case with the crystallised phenol occurring in the oils of other large classes 

 of cineol producing Eucalypts. The amount of volatile aldehydes in the crude 

 oil is but small, so that rectification of the " first hour oil " is not necessary 

 before placing it on the market. This species of Eucalyptus, considered as a 

 cineol oil producing tree, thus becomes of considerable importance irom an 

 industrial point of view, particularly as the country where it grows plentifully 

 is usually of little value for agricultural purposes. 



Our attention was first directed tc an increased amount of cineol in the oil 

 of the " Narrow-leaved Peppermint " growing in the Southern Coast District of 

 New South Wales, by Mr. W. T. Farrell, early in 1913. He had collected his 

 specimens at Nerrigundah, in which locality this tree occurs somewhat abundantly. 

 Arrangements were made to distil the oil in commercial quantities, and control 

 analyses were undertaken at the Technological Museum, on the oil collected each 

 month. In November of that year the Museum Collector forwarded material 

 from Yourie and Tanto, in the Cobargc district. This was distilled a< the 

 Museum, and the results of the analysis of the oil are here given. Later, a visit 

 was paid to this portion of New South Wales, and by the courtesy of the District 



