ESSENTIAL OIL OF LEPTOSPERMUM. 207 



tallised by addition of water. This was repeated until 

 crystals were obtained of fixed melting point after drying 

 upon porous plates. It formed an exceedingly light and 

 bulky white mass of well developed acicular crystals 

 possessing a silky lustre quite characteristic of eudesmol. 



The crystals melted at 79-80° O. and boiled at 156° C. 

 at 10 mm. Three samples from different distillations after 

 melting on water bath gave the following specific rotations 

 in chloroform solution: — 



0*7825 gram, in 10 c.c. OHCl 3 at 20° C. [a] D 20° +31-95 

 1*3124 „ 10 „ OB01 3 „ „ +31*62 



1*5748 „ 10 „ OHOI3 „ „ +32*06 



It is therefore identical with the bicyclic sesquiterpene 

 alcohol (eudesmol) present in the Bucalypts and of the 

 same order of specific rotation as that present in Eucalyptus 

 Macarthuri. 1 The saponification number of the oil after 

 acetylation is due to this alcohol. 



The oil of Leptosperum odoratum consists essentially of 



the following terpenic bodies : — 



Dextro rotatory eudesmol P Pinene 



Laevo rotatory eudesmene a Pinene 



Lsevo rotatory aromadendrene 



together with small amounts of a rose odour alcohol, with 



butyric and acetic acid ester, and phenols, one of which is 



probably identical with tasmanol. 



Besides my previously expressed indebtedness to the 

 author of this species (Mr. E. Oheel) I have also to thank 

 Mr. R. T. Baker, f.l.s., Curator of the Technological 

 Museum, for his interest in the work, and for making avail- 

 able the facilities of the Institution, also to Mr. F. Morrison, 

 Assistant Chemist, for able assistance in working out the 

 composition of the oil and for his kindness in helping to 

 collect portion of the material. 



Technological Museum, Sydney. 

 1 Baker and Smith, " Besearch on the Eucalypts," 2nd Ed., p. 379. 



