Ol 
ESSENTIAL OIL OF BACKHOUSIA MYRTIFOLIA. 12: 
THE HSSENTIAL OIL or BACKHOUSIA MYRTIFOLIA, 
PART I, 
By A. R. PENFOLD, F.C.S. 
Economic Chemist, Technological Museum, Sydney. 
[Read before the Royal Society of N. S. Wales, August 2, 1922. | 
THE botany of this small or medium size tree was first 
described in “‘Botanical Magazine,”’ t. 4133, by its authors 
‘Hooker and Harvey.’ It is the grey or “‘scrub’’ Myrtle, 
usually a small tree with myrtle-like leaves and pleasing 
white flowers found growing in most gullies containing 
running water in the coast and coast mountain districts of 
this State, extending to Queensland, being particularly 
plentiful in the southern district of New South Wales. 
Although specimens of its essential oil have been in the 
Technological Museum since 1896, the oil had not previously 
been examined until Mr. T. H. Brown of Ourrowan, via 
Nelligen of this State enquired as to its economic value 
when forwarding a small sample early in 1921. It was 
then that the writer undertook its investigation. 
The Essential Oil. 
The oil obtained by steam distillation from the leaves 
and terminal branchlets is heavier than water, of a brownish 
yellow colour and pleasing odour. The material from which 
the oils referred to in this paper were obtained, was pro- 
cured from Currowan of the southern district of New South 
Wales, and from Lane Cove, a suburb a few miles on the 
northern side of Sydney. Altogether 532 tbs weight of 
leaves and terminal branchlets, cut as for commercial 
distillation, were distilled, and gave an average percentage 

‘ Bentham’s Flora Australiensis, Vol. 111, page 269. 
