Volatile Oils. 53 



Volatile Oils, obtained from the leaves, branchlets, flowers, 

 roots, or bark of trees or shrubs, by the ordinary processes of 

 distillation, have up to the present never competed commer- 

 cially with other vegetable products of a volatile nature. 

 This has arisen either from expense of production, scantiness 

 of yield, or limited quantity of accessible material supplying 

 such oils. 



The results of my late investigations justify me in assert- 

 ing that the Volatile Oils of Victoria can compete advan- 

 tageously with Volatile Oils and other volatile products from 

 other countries. 



At the late Victorian Exhibition I had the honour of 

 exhibiting twenty-eight samples of Volatile Oils from native 

 plants. The results of my own private experiments, made 

 and recorded before the exhibition of these samples — which 

 results were afterwards verified as correct by the extended 

 investigations of the jurors — -place many of them in a 

 prominent position as valuable auxiliaries to some depart- 

 ments of manufactures, others as valuable additions to the 

 pharmacopoeia, and a few to the art of the perfumer. 



The numerous genera and species of forest trees which 

 abound in the colony primarily claim attention. And here 

 I would say that I cannot too strongly express the obliga- 

 tions under which Dr. Mueller, the Government Botanist, 

 has placed me, in common with all those who are on any 

 account interested in the botany of Victoria, by his assiduous 

 and untiring researches, and by the various able and valuable 

 works in which he has embodied the results of his investiga- 

 tions ; nor should I personally feel justified in omitting to 

 express my sincere thanks for the courteous kindness with 

 which Dr. M. has always afforded me information on these 

 subjects, and the readiness which he has always displayed to 

 assist my inquiries. 



Those trees and shrubs which, on account of their very 

 extensive range, the unlimited supply of material, and the 

 abundant yield of oil, are likely to be of especial value in 

 the arts and manufactures, belong to the genera Eucalyptus 

 and Melaleuca. 



Those of value in therapeutics and pharmacy are 

 numerous and varied, but our present remarks will be con- 

 fined to those from which were produced the Volatile Oils 

 exhibited. 



Those of use to the perfumer will follow. 



I have distilled from twelve species of Eucalypti, and 



