86 



MANUAL OF POISONOUS PLANTS 



The nicotin of tobacco depends largely on climatic and soil conditions, 

 The Havana, Porto Rico, Sumatra, Connecticut Seed Leaf and Wisconsin have 

 qualities all peculiarly their own. 



Blyth records the following percentages of nicotin in various tobaccos as 

 given by Cox.^ 



Variety examined Nicotin per cent 



1. Syrian leaves (a), ....... .612 



2. Syrian leaves (b), . . ' . . . . .1.093 



3. Gold Flake (Virginia), . . . . . .2.501 



10. "Navy-Cut" (Light colored), . . . . . .3.640 



IS. "Best Shag" (b), S.OOO 



17. Algerian tobacco (a), ...... 8.813 



According to Professor Garner ^ the nicotin contents vary as follows ; • 

 Nicotin soluble in petroleum ether in domestic filler tobacco 2.20 percent; 

 Imported Cuban Santa Clara tobacco 1.33 percent. 



That climate plays an important part in connection with chemical products 

 is illustrated in the essential oils. The most important of these such as bergamot, 

 cassia, cinnamon, jasmine, fennel, lavender, orange, rosmary, attar of roses, 

 and many of the others are imported into the United States. These are pro- 

 duced in localities that are more favorable for their production than in many 

 parts of this country. However, some of the essential oils like those from pep- 

 permint, sweet birch, and sassafras are produced extensively in the United 

 States. The time of collecting and many other factors as well as the matter 

 of labor enter into the production of these oils. The variation in composi- 

 tion has been indicated by Dr. Edward Kremers and his students in various 

 publications.^ 



It is well known that the locality for attar of roses which supplies most of 

 the commerce of the world is a small district of country on the southern side 

 of the Balkan Mountains. The best localities according to those best informed 

 on the subject are those occupying southern or southeastern slopes. The 

 flowers attain perfection in April or May and are gathered before sunrise. 

 It is concluded from some experiments carried on in some of the northern 

 countries in Europe, that a cool northern climate is not conducive to the 

 production of highly odorous oils.* 



It is interesting to note that the oil of orange flowers comes chiefly from 

 the southern part of France, and that the flowers of sweet orange afford about 

 one-half the amount of oil that those of the bitter orange do. Lavendar oil, 

 made from Lavandula vera, is very variable in quantity, depending upon its 

 source, although not grown to any great extent in England. Fliickiger and 

 Hanbury state that the Mitcham oil grown in the Surrey, is of a superior and 

 high quality. The above is used here to illustrate the fact that the chemical 

 products of plants vary depending upon the different climatic conditions. 



1 Pharm. Journ., Jan. 20, 1894. Blyth, Poisons; Their Effects and Detection. Ed. 2.274. 



2 Bull. U. S. Dept. Agr., Bur. Plant Ind. 141; Pt. I, 12. 



3 Kremers and Schreiner. The Quantitative Estimation of Carvone in Volatile Oils. 

 Pharm. Review. 14:76. 



Edward Kremers and Florence M. Gage. Notes on Two Oils Containing Pulegeone 

 Pharm. Review. 16:412. • 



Kremers and Sievers. Oils from Milfoil. Pharm. Review. 25:215, 

 The Volatile Oils, by E. Gildemeister & Fr. Hoffman. English Translation, E. Kremers 



4 Fliickiger & Hanbury, 262. 



