46 
THE CHEMIST AND DRUGGIST OF AUSTRALASIA. 
Feb. 1, 1887. 
very much, and was of a dirty dark brown colour, differing 
from the “straw colour” still mentioned by Squire in his new 
companion. 
I "would like to know if it is possible to turn out a decent 
tincture free from a deposit by following the B.P. ’85. — Yours 
Sydney, January 13th, 1886. 
CHKISTMAS EXPERIMENTS. 
To the Editor of the Chemist and Druggist of Australasia. 
Sir, — I am sure that nearly every subscriber to your valu- 
able journal will have felt interested in the competition, the 
results of which are now appearing in the parent Chemist and 
Druggist, and the receipts will doubtless be treasured up by 
all as a unique and valuable collection ; but though they are 
very comprehensive it is more than likely that many Austra- 
lian chemists can add to the list from their own private stores 
of knowledge, and I trust that any such will come forward 
with their quota of informntion for the general good. 
I am, &c., 
NOVELTY. 
^ P.S. — That I may not be accused of neglecting to practise 
"what I preach I append the following experiment, which I 
have frequently performed with marked success. It has not 
appeared in the English list up to date : — 
Rub biniodide of mercury over a sheet of white paper, and 
shortly before exhibition hold it, painted side uppermost, 
over a flame until it turns from red to pale yellow, when it 
will appear to be a sheet of common white paper. Show the 
spectators that you have nothing under the ^mper. Call for a 
toothpick, penknife, or other pointed article, and ask some 
one to name a word or a sentence, which you will write at 
once on the paper in red ink with the article handed you. 
Every chemist knows that the biniodide, when turned 
yellow by heat, only requires to be touched to return to its 
original colour, but it is a great puzzle to the uninitiated.^ Of 
course the experiment is susceptible of many modifications, 
but these will readily suggest themselves to snyone who gives 
the matter a thought. 
Koromiki. Cement for Bicycle Tires. — We quote several 
formulas from “ The Chemist and Druggist,” June, 1886 : — 
1. Melt together one part each of gutta pereha and shellac, 
and gradually stir into the mixture 1-lOth part each of melted 
sulphur and red lead. Use hot. 
2. One part of powdered shellac treated with 10 parts of 
liquor ammonias (*880) for three or four weeks in a wide 
mouthed bottle. The mixture gelatinises at first, but ulti- 
mately becomes syrupy and is said to answer very well. 
3. Two parts of asphalte and one part of gutta pereha 
melted together by a gentle heat. This resembles bicycle 
cement, sold as such by the dealers, and is to be used hot. If 
possible the wheels should be warmed. 
67 I 19. Ac. SuJjdi Dil. asks for a formula for a good and 
fairly cheap perfume ; but as he does not say whether 
it is for pomade or for the handkerchief, or what class 
of perfume he desires, it is difficult to respond. Eau de 
Cologne and Lavender water can be made both good and 
cheap, and numerous formulae have been given in The 
Chemist and Druggist and The Chemists’ and Druggists’ 
Diaries. 
Mosquitoes. — It is said that nitre paper burned in a room 
will drive out mosquitoes. We have not tried this, but a mix- 
ture of equal parts of essential oils of eucalyptus and lavender 
applied freely to the skin will repel their attacks. And we 
can assert from experience that essential oil of lavender ap- 
plied to a bite without delay will at once relieve all irritation 
and prevent swelling. 
Fermented Ginger Beer. — This, which after ail, is a 
pleasant cooling beverage, is always turbid. Is_ there any 
plan by which it can be obtained quite clear and bright ? 
The turbidity may be due to more than one cause. If the 
ginger, which is one of the necessary ingredients, is bruised 
too much, the finer particles are apt to make the last few 
bottles in the brew very muddy. But even when this is 
avoided there is always a milkiness, due to the presence of 
yeast cells, which, we think, cannot be removed in any ordi- 
nary case. If yeast is not added there will be no fermentation ■ 
if it does not multiply so that the cells are present throughout 
the liquid some bottles will not have their share of effervesence. 
In the case of sparkling wines, the bottling is done while the 
yeast cells — in this case a different species— are still in full 
activity. The bottles are stacked neck downwards, and the 
peculiar slope or absence of shoulder is designed so that all 
solid matter should settle on the cork. When fermentation 
has proceeded to a certain point the liquid becomes too alcoholic 
for the yeast cells to maintain their activity, and they sink to 
the bottom. The next operation is to remove the cork while 
the bottle is still reversed, with such dexterity that the deposit 
of yeast cells and other solid matter is expelled with the 
smallest possible loss of liquid and gas. This process, ho wever^ 
cannot be applied to ginger beer without changing its character 
altogether, and the turbidity must be accepted as part of its 
character. 
61 I 25. Volatility writes: — Can you or any of your 
readers give me a receipt for a cheap Capping for Bottles 
which will be tenacious without being “ stickey,” one without 
gelatine ? 
We can easily supply a good formula for a gelatine capping 
but must ask our readers for a formula if it is essential to ex- 
clude gelatine. 
EUCALYPTUS OIL. 
(By William Sutherland, M.A., B.Sc. 
( Continued from 'page 23. ) 
Varieties of Eucalyptus Oil. 
The following account of the varieties of Eucalyptus oil is 
taken chiefly from the careful report of the jurors who reported 
on the Victorian vegetable products exhibited at the Victorian 
Exhibition, 1861. 
E. Amygdalina : — This constitutes the bulk of the oil known 
to the pharmacists as eucalyptus oil, it is a thin, pale yel^w 
liquid, with a pungent odour like that of oil of lemons but 
stronger and coarser ; its taste is mild and cooling, with an 
after sensation like that from camphor and slightly bitter* 
At 16 deg. C. its specific gravity is •881; it begins to boil at 16b 
deg. C., but with the escape of the more volatile constituents 
the boiling point rises to 188 deg. C. Cooled to 18 deg. C. it 
deposits a white flocculent substance which melts at 3 deg. C. 
The oil is less volatile than oil of turpentine, it dissolves in 
all proportions in turpentine, ether, chloroform, absolute 
alcohol, and also pretty freely in spirits of wine, while in 
water only about 1 per cent, dissolves. Its solvent powers are 
important, thus one pint dissolves 23ozs. of camphor, 20ozs. 
of resin, and foz. of caoutchouc. 
E. Oleosa.— The mixed mallee oil passes under the name ot 
its constituent obtained from the oleosa species. In gene^l 
appearance and properties it does not differ much from fh® 
preceding, its taste is milder than that of most of the other 
varieties, while its odour is more turpentine-like with a decided 
suggestion of mint. Its specific gravity is *911. It begins to 
boil at 161 deg. C., but the boiling point rises to 177 deg. C. 
E. Globulus . — This is the oil that is k^best nown outside 
Australia, and the one whose properties have been most com- 
pletely investigated. Its importance in Australia is chiefly 
due to the fact that there is a considerable demand for the 
globulus timber, and so there is an abundance of leaves to be 
had. It colour is a very pale yellow, and its taste is cooling 
and mint-like. Its specific gravity is *917, and its boiling 
point rises from 149deg. C to 177deg. C. When cooled to 
18deg. C it remains clear. This last fact, and the lowness of 
the point at which it begins to boil, show that the volatile 
constituent is more plentiful in globulus oil than m amygda- 
lina. It is inferior on the whole in solvent powers, but 
globulus oil can be distinguished from amygdalina oil by its 
power to dissolve Grass tree resin completely, while the latter 
always leaves a residue. , , . i •, m ^ 
E. Leucoxylon (sometimes sideroxylon) yields an oil ve^ 
similar to the mallee oil ; its specific gravity is -923, and its 
boiling point rises from 154deg. C. to 178deg. C. 
E. Macrohyza furnishes a bitter reddish-yellow oil, of 
specific gravity *899, and boiling from 171deg.C. to 194deg. 
which, when cooled to 18deg. 0. becomes, like the amygdalina 
oil, turbid, and this fact, along with the high boiling points, 
is to be taken as indicating the replacement of volatile mat- 
ters by more complex compounds. 
