The Chemistry and the Chemical Exploitation of Western 
A U STR A LI AN P LA N TS . 
85 
It is not possible, in a review such as this, to adopt a purely chemical 
basis for discussion of the topics dealt with and the subject matter has there- 
fore been divided into such sections as essential oils, resins and gums, 
tannins and kinos, poison plants, dyes and colouring matters, vitamins and 
medicinal substances. 
IE ESSENTIAL OILS. 
FA M I LY S ANTALACEA E. 
Sandalwood, the heart wood of Santahini spicatum (R.Br.) DC., was 
first exported from Western Australia in 1845 but it is difficult to fix a 
date when the oil was first marketed. There was intermittent production 
of the oil by a number of small distillers about sixty years ago, but it was 
not until 1921 that systematic and scientifically controlled production of the 
oil was commenced. Prior to this, the alcohol content of the highest grade 
oil produced was about 75 per cent., but by 1926 this figure had been in- 
creased to 93 to 95 per cent. (2), resulting in the inclusion of the oil in 
the British Pharmacopoeia. The total santalol content of this oil (that is 
oc — and — santalol) was only about 45 per cent., but since then, while 
the high percentage of total alcohols has been maintained, the santalol con- 
tent has been increased to 60 to 65 per cent. The nature of the remaining 
alcohols in the oil of S', spicatum is not known and the elucidation of their 
chemical structure is a problem which requires solution (3). 
The oil of S. lanceolatum . R.Br. is also distilled to some extent, on ac- 
count of its higher laevo-rotation, for blending with the oil of 8’. spicatum. 
It has been shown (4) to contain the primary sesquiterpene alcohol lanceol. 
Fa m i ly Myrtaceae . 
The oils of many of the species of Eucalyptus occurring in the Eastern 
States of Australia have been thoroughly investigated, but, of the 140 to 
150 species known in Western Australia, less than 40 have been examined 
and not all of these in any detail. The oils consist chiefly of terpene and 
sesquiterpene compounds associated with more or less oxygenated deriva- 
tives such as cineole, alcohols, esters, aldehydes, acids, ketones and phenols, 
or possibly keto-onol compounds which give colours with ferric chloride. The 
hydrocarbons present are chiefly pinene and phellandrene, generally accom- 
panied by aromadendrene and occasionally by p-cymene and terpinene. The 
alcohols include geraniol, terpineol and eudesmol, and in some cases they 
make up an appreciable amount of the oil. These species are not as highly 
evolved as some of those found in the Eastern States and they include such 
primitive types as E. calophylla R.Br. and E. diversicolor F. Muell., the 
oils of which consist largely of terpenes. 
Baker and Smith (5) have examined the oils of E. accedens W. V. 
Fitzg., E. calophylla , E. cornuta Labill., E. diversicolor, E. gomphoccphala 
DC., E. Lehmanni (Preiss.) Schau., E. longicornis F. Muell., E. marginata 
Sm., E. megacarpa F. Muell., E. occidentals Endl., E. platypus Hook., E. 
rcdunca Schau., E. rudis Endl., E. salmonophloia F. Muell. and E. salubris 
F. Muell. E. platypus (6) has also been examined by Earl, whilst Phillips 
(7) has investigated the oils of E. campaspe and E. spathulata Hook. Fur- 
ther species which have been examined include E. Flocktoniae Maiden (8), 
E. Kesselli Maiden et Blakely and E. dundasi Maiden (9), E. salmonophloia 
