THE ESSENTIAL OIL OF DORYPKORA SASSAFRAS. 271 



of the oil of the leaves for commercial purposes, and he 

 kindly supplied the first lot of material for this investigation 

 in order that its composition and value might be determined. 



As shown under "Experimental," the examination of this 

 first lot of oil gave favourable results, the yield being 1*05%, 

 but the publication of the work was delayed, not only in 

 order to obtain confirmation of the percentage yield, but 

 for comparisons to be made with material collected at other 

 periods of the year, and from different localities. The 

 second lot of material came from the same locality as the 

 first, but in the month of May 1921, when the percentage 

 yield of oil was only 0'1%. When a further collection was 

 made in November 1921, the percentage yield was 0*85%. 



This last distillation confirmed the original results 

 obtained the year before. A complication, however, has 

 arisen, as a collection of leaves made at Ourrowan, about 

 15 miles away from the other locality (Monga) differs some- 

 what in the composition of its oil, inasmuch as it is lighter 

 than water, high in content of camphor, low in safrol, and 

 contains apparently a fair percentage of the methyl ether 

 of eugenol, whilst the first named is heavier than water, 

 contains usually about 60% safrol without the eugenol ether 

 and a much lower amount of camphor. In the writer's 

 opinion the difference is probably due to different conditions 

 of environment, but further comment is deferred until he 

 has an opportunity of making a thorough examination in 

 the field. 



The publication of the results, so far obtained, however, 

 cannot be further delayed, on account of their economic 

 influence, and the fact that various distillers are eagerly 

 waiting to secure their leases of country. 



In Part II communication the result of the examination 

 of the leaves from other localities, together with an ex- 

 planation of the variation in composition of oil at present 



