The essential oils to which allusion will now be made, were all 

 prepared by Messrs. J. Bossisto and W. Johnson, at the sugges- 

 tion of Baron Von Mueller, who also furnished the material from 

 which they were prepared. 



I. ESSENTIAL OILS FROM CERTAIN SPECIES OF THE GENUS 

 MELALEUCA. 



These oils in common with those of Eucalyptine origin, are all 

 possessed of medicinal properties. It is more than probable that 

 they will all be found to act as diffusible stimulants, anti-spas- 

 modics, and sudorifics, greatly resembling the oil of cajupt of 

 commerce (obtained from Melaleuca leucadendron) to which 

 they are so closely related bot.mically. 



With regard to the yield of these plants ; it will be observed 

 that they far exceed in productiveness M. leucadendron, and the 

 difference would be yet more striking could the leaves be operated 

 on alone : owing to the minuteness of the same however, it is 

 necessary to introduce the smaller branches with them into the 

 still, so that the leaves do not constitute more than a fourth of 

 the weight of the material employed. 



In illuminating power they compare most favorably with the 

 best American kerosene, in most cases excelling it. They are 

 good solvents for resins, especially the oil of M. ericifolia which 

 is not inferior in this respect to those of Eucalyptine origin : this 

 oil ou*ht perhaps to be regarded as the most important of this 

 division inasmuch as the species yielding it, exists in much 

 greater profusion and covers larger tracts of country than all the 

 others taken together. 



Melaleuca Unarifolia, Smith one of the Tea-trees, occurs in 

 E ist Grippe Lind, New South Wales and Queensland. 



Yield : 100 Ibs. fresh branchlets and leaves, gave 28 fluid 

 ounces. The oil is a light straw-colored mobile fluid : odor 

 resembling that of cijuput, but less aromatic and pungent : taste 

 singularly agreeable, strongly suggestive of both mace and nut- 

 meg, followed by the usual mint-like after taste, common in a 

 greater or less degree to the myrtaceous oils. Specific gravity 

 0.903 : boiling point 348 the mercury ceasing to rise at 369 : 

 .relative illuminating power 0.982, kerosene = 1.000. 



