392 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST* [December i, 1887. 
ginger essence in the preparation of stomachic liqueurs. 
Marjoram Oil. — A Spanish distillate of Origanum 
Marjorana, which has recently been introduced into 
commerce, is said to be unsuitable to replace the oil 
distilled from German marjoram, since it possesses 
quite different characters. The Spanish oil may be 
distinguished by its freedom from colour. 
Patchouli. — The insufficient supply from India and 
Singapore of the patchouli herb has occasioned an 
attempt to acclimatize the plant in Peru. 
Pepper Oil. —The price of pepper oil is said to stand 
in no relation to the cost of the raw material, it being 
now yielded as a bye-product in the preparation of 
piperonal (heliotropin). The oil is reported to be used 
exclu.-ively in the " improvement ' ' of spices. 
Pimento Oil. — It is suggested whether this oil might 
not to some extent replace the dearer clove oil in 
perfumery, since it consists chiefly of eugenol, and 
and the two oils are not distinguishable chemically 
from one another. 
Tansy Oil. — Severe symptoms of poisoning are said 
to follow taking a teaspoonful of tansy oil, whilst 
death may be caused by a teaspoonful and a half. 
Rose Oil. — Some further information is given as 
to the progress of the experiment in rose cultivation 
near Leipzic for the purposes of distillation. The 
weather during the past year was extremely favourable 
to the growth and harvesting of the flowers, and the 
jield has amounted to nearly two kilos of pure rose 
oil, and about 3000 kilos of rose water, prepared in 
the proportion of equal weights of roses and water. 
It is estimated that at present there are about 
six hectares of land under culture with roses in the 
neighbourhood of Leipzic, and this quantity will prob- 
ably considerably increase. The German rose oil is 
claimed to have an uncommonly fine perfume, and 
to be the best now met with in commerce, and it 
is said that a comparison of it with the Turkish 
article will raise in the mind of any expert suspicions 
as to the latter. The Turkish oil contains a smaller 
quantity of the solid constituent than the German, 
which solidifies at about +20° C. ; it would therefore 
be interesting to decide whether this is a result of 
sophistication, or whether, as has been stated, the 
oil from roses grown in high elevations contains less 
stearoptene than that from roses grown on the plains. 
Roseioood Oil. — The wood from which this oil is 
distilled (Convolvulus scoparius) is superficially quite 
odourless, the rose-like perfume becoming perceptible 
in proportion with the disintegration of the wood. 
This would appear to indicate that the oil glands are 
contained in the substance of the wood, but unfortun- 
ately they are so sparingly distributed that the 
distillation of the oil is hardly remunerative. More- 
over, the oil appears too weak in odour to be of 
practical importance as a perfume. It is said, how- 
ever, that mixed with twenty times its weight of 
copaiba oil it is used as a bait for wild rabbits and 
rats, who are attracted by its perfume. 
Sandal Wood Oil. — The wood as imported from 
India shows great variations in the amount of oil it 
contains. The best qualities come from Bombay and 
Tellicherry, and fetch a relatively high price, the 
supply of root pieces being limited. A small distillate 
similar to the East Iudian oil is yielded by the so- 
called Macassar sandal wood, which is brought from 
Timor and Sumba, the "Sandal Wood Islands," off 
the North-west coast of Australia, to the market in 
Macassar, and is thence consigned to Holland. The 
West Australian sandal wood, from Swan .River, 
for which Singapore is the principal market, is said 
to yield an oil insufficient in quality to meet the 
most moderate requirements. The so-called "West 
Indian sandal wood oil," distilled from the wood of 
an undetermined Venezuelan tree, is disappearing from 
commerce, though it used to be imported largely into 
the United States. In respect to odour it is described 
as not having the slightest similarity to the East 
Indian oil, aud quite useless for perfumery purposes. 
The following are described as novelties: — 
Betel Leaves Oil, distilled from the leaves of Piper 
Betel. — The essential oil is brown in colour and has 
an agreeable tea-like odour and burning taste. Specific 
cravity 1020 at 15° O. It boil* at 25O°-20O ° O. , and 
't consists of a phenol, corresponding completely in 
propenies and reactions with eugenol, and an indifferent 
hydrocarbon. The betel leaves operated upon, which 
came from Siam, yielded about one-balf per cent, of 
essential oil; but as according to a statement by the 
consignor, the leaves had been improperly dried, it 
may be that they had lost a portion of their oil. If, 
as there is little reason to doubt, the essential oil is 
the active principle of the leaves, it would probably 
be worthy of an experimental investigation. Accord- 
ing to the Pharmacopoeia of India the leaves are 
useful in catarrhal aud pulmonary affections generally, 
and especially tho^e of children. The dose is not 
given, but it seems probable, judging from its com- 
position, that the oil would be harmless, which would 
also appear from the long aud general use of a mix- 
ture of the leaves with lime aud arecanut as a 
masticatory in the East. 
Masterwort Oil. — The essential oil from the root of 
Itiperatoria Ostruthium. It has a strong aromatio 
odour, recalling that of angelica oil, and a pungent 
aroiratic taste, aud consists of a hydrocarbon. It 
boils between 170° and 190° G. Specific gravity 0-877 
at 15° C. One hundred kilos of root submitted to 
distillation gave 800 grams of essential oil. 
Musk Seed Oil.— Distillate from the seeds of Abel- 
moschus moschatus. It does not appear from published 
reports that this oil has been prepared or is known; 
nevertheless it is considered by Messrs. Schimmel of 
great interest, and of value in perfumery, on account 
of its intense and persistent odour of musk and civet. 
Specific gravity 0' 900 at 25° O. It solidifies at a tem- 
perature below + 10° C, and contains a free fatty acid 
which partially separates even at the ordinary tem- 
perature. This acid is not myristic, but probably palm- 
itic acid. In the distillation the oil partially decom- 
poses ; the distillate is strongly acid aud contains free 
acetic and fatty acid. The oil after being freed from 
the fatty acid remains liquid at 0° C. 
Ledum Oil. — The ethereal oil of Ledum palustre 
from the herb, specific gravity 0-932 at 15° O. Boiling 
point 180° -250° 0. It was prepared to obtain Ledum 
camphor, but neither the normal oi nor the separate 
fractions yielded the camphor when placed in a 
cooling mixture. Neither was the statement confirmed 
that camphor is formed in the oil when it is exposed 
to the air. This oil was shown at the Philadelphia 
Exhibition, and it is said to be very active against 
moths ; but its present high price would hardly allow 
it to be used for that purpose. 
Celtic Nard* Oil. — A distillate from Valeriana eeltica, 
which grows in the Styrian Alps. This oil, which 
has a specific gravity of 0'967, and boils at200°-300° 
C, is said to resemble in odour ratber Roman 
chamomile oil and patchouli oil than valerian oil. 
Its perfume is very powerful. The root of Valeriana 
eeltica was formerly an important article of Eastern 
trade ; at present it is only obtained with difficulty, 
and is usually mixed with about 80 per cent of 
earth adherent to its fine fibres. The root differs in 
external appearance from the official valerian root as 
much as the two oils differ from one another. 
Michelia Nilagirica. — A very aromatic essential oil 
has been obtained from the bark of Michelia Nilagirica* 
a tree said to be distributed over all northern India. 
The bark was received through Loudon in large flat 
pieces of reddish colour, apparently derived from large 
trees. A decoction of the bark is reported to be 
used by the natives as a remedy for fevers. The 
oil is said to be well suited for perfumery if a 
suitable supply of the bark could be obtained. 
Lemon Oil, Artificial. — Referring to statements that 
have been published to the effect that a colourless oil, 
having the odour and properties of lemon oil, can be 
prepared by acting on terpin hydrate with hydrochloric 
acid gas, and treating the hydrochlorate formed with 
potassium, Messrs. Schimmel say that they have 
failed to obtain such an oil by the process. But 
even if it were otherwise they consider the process 
would have no practical importance, since the oil 
produced by it would be five times more costly than 
the natural oil. 
* Common in our loftier Ceylon forests.— Ed. 
