T56 ON THE ESSENTIAL OIL OF PIMENTO 



would open to the industrious man in humble circumstances a daily 

 source of profit ; for a very small still of a few gallons, daily set in motion 

 by his kitchen-fire, would yield a considerable return at the year's end. 

 And where, in this Isle of Springs, can water and the leaves of pimento 

 not be procured 1 — where 



-' Sabean odours from the spicy shore 



Of Araby the blest ' 

 abound. 



" Further information from the Society on this subject, regarding the 

 marketable value and demand of this oil, as well as the cheapest process 

 for extracting it in considerable quantities, cannot fail of being useful to 

 the public." 



In reference to the above communication, we would make the follow- 

 ing remarks : — 



Pimento-berries bruised and distilled with water yield the pimento-oil 

 of commerce. This oil is officinal in the Pharmacopoeias of the London, 

 Edinburgh, and Dublin Colleges. 



Dr Royle states that, " it is obtained in the proportion of 1 to 4 per 

 cent, by distilling bruised pimento with water. It resembles, and is 

 sometimes sold for oil of cloves, or employed to adulterate it." 



Dr Pereira, in his work on Materia Medica, observes — " Mr Whipple 

 informs me that from 8 cwt. of pimento, he procured 41 lb. 6 oz. of oil 

 (heavy and light) : this is nearly 6 per cent. He also informs me that the 

 light oil comes over first. The oil of pimento of the shops is a mixture 

 of these two oils. By distillation with caustic potash, the light oil 

 is separated ; the residue, mixed with sulphuric acid and submitted to 

 distillation, gives out the heavy oil. 



" Light Oil of Pimento (Pimento Hydro-carbon) has not to my knowledge 

 been previously examined. Its properties appear to be similar to those 

 of the light oil of cloves. It floats on water and on liquor potassee, and 

 is slightly reddened by nitric acid. Potassium sinks in, and is scarcely 

 if at all acted on by it. 



" Heavy Oil of Pimento (Pimentic Acid), very similar to caryophyllic 

 acid or the heavy oil of cloves. It forms with the alkalies crystalline 

 compounds (alkaline pimentates), which become blue or greenish on the 

 addition of the tincture of chloride of iron, owing to the formation of a 

 ferruginous pimentate. Nitric acid acts violently on, and reddens it." 



The medical uses of the oil of pimento are very limited. It is some- 

 times employed to relieve toothache, to correct the operation of other 

 medicines, as purgatives and- tonics, and to prepare the officinal essence, 

 spirit, and distilled water of the Pharmacopoeias. The Edinburgh Col- 

 lege direets the spirit of pimento to be prepared by distilling the bruised 

 b2rries with spirit ; and the same College, together with the London, 

 obtain their distilled pimento-water by distilling the berries with water. 



