president’s ADDRESS — SECTION B. 
49 
who pronounces it to contain both cineol and cuminol. Its sp. gr. at 
15° C. is *915 — *925, and optical rotation —3° and —5°, Wilkinson. 
The term “oleosa” has, however, been sometimes used in a 
generic sense, and hence we cannot always guarantee that the oils 
labelled “oleosa” are the sole product ofc‘ E. oleosa , E. v. M. There 
are other species of mallee, but as some confusion has arisen in 
regard to their various products, a monograph of mallee oils would be 
invaluable. 
Under the head of “ Scented or Perfume Oils.” that of E. 
maculata , Hook., var. citriodora , stands pre-eminent. Jt has contained 
as much as 95 per cent, of eitronellon and 5 per cent, of geraniol. 
It is soluble in from 4 to 5 parts of 70 per cent, alcohol. One sample 
was optically inactive, another slightly dextrogyre. Boils between 
209° and 220°, sp. gr. *87 to *905, # but *87 to *88 (Wilkinson). 
The oil of the “ Lemon-scented Ironbark ( E . Staiqeriana , 
P. v. M.), is even more sweetly scented. It is high in oil yield. Its 
sp. gr. at 15° C. is *88, and it boils between 223° and 233°. It 
contains citral* Owing to their volatile nature these oils have not 
been that commercial success it was hoped they would have been. 
Cineol (Euealyptol). — Is represented by the formula C 10 II 16 0. 
Its specific gravity is *930, and boiling point 176-177° C. It is a 
colourless and transparent liquid, is optically inactive, and belongs to 
the Camphor group. It crystallises at a low temperature (-1° C), and 
this property enables it to be separated (by repeated crystallisations) in 
a pure state from mixtures containing it. In our warm climate the 
separation of crystallisable cineol is attended with difficulty, parti- 
cularly if it contain terpenes, for those bodies are solvent in cineoh 
In fact, the presence of cineol in an oil rich in terpenes is very difficult 
to detect, and hence oils have often been returned as containing 
no cineol, when, as a matter of fact, they do contain it. There are 
certain chemical tests for the detection of cineol, but they are by no 
means easy of application. 
It has been assumed, and it has been endeavoured to prove, that 
cineol is the only therapeutically active constituent of eucalyptus oils., 
It is the practice of some to determine the value of eucalyptus oilg 
simply according to the percentage of cineol. But we must suspend 
our judgment in regard to cineol being the only valuable constituent 
of eucalyptus oil. I am personally aware of beneficial effects which 
have attended the use (for inhalations, &c.), of oils which I have 
shown to practically consist of phcllandrene. Endeavours are made t® 
completely replace eucalyptus oil in therapeutics by the pure body 
(cineol). I do not dispute the therapeutic value of cineol, and while 
I am fully aware of the advantage in therapeutics of dealing with a 
substance of defined chemical composition, it will be found impossible 
in practice to supplant the innumerable eucalyptus oils of all degrees 
of cineol content, and some of which are nearlv or entirely destitute 
of it. 
Cineol has been included in the Pharmacopoeia of the United 
States. Tests imposed, in addition to those indicated above, are that 
equal parts of cineol and soda-solution, shaken together, must not 
D 
JBericht, October, 1893. 
