PEESIDEXt’s ADDRESS — SECTION B. 
51 
these nothing has been done. They describe the oil of M. acuminata 
E. y. M., from South Australia, as colourless, and as having an odour 
slightly resembling juniper berries, sp« gr. 0892, optical rotation 
— 15° 20'. It contains a considerable quantity of ciueol. The oil of 
M ’ uncinaia , R. Br., also from South Australia, has a sp. gr. of 0925, 
and an optical rotation of + 1° 40'. The principal part dissolves between 
175° and ISO 0 C. The lowest boiling fraction possesses a decided 
Spike or Rosemary odour. The second fraction has a smell of pure 
cineol, which is the most important constituent of the oil. The 
highest boiling portion probably consist of terpinol. 
Schimmeland Co. bave also examined some oil of M. leucadendron , 
Linn., var. lane (folia, from Queensland. Like common cajeput oil (to 
which, botanieally, it is very closely related), it consists mainly of 
cineol, has a sp. gr. of 0955, and an optical rotation of — 8° 88'. 
The oil of 3L viridi flora, a plant which forms a considerable part 
of the scrubby vegetation of New Caledonia, where it is known as 
niaouli, has also been carefully investigated by Gr. Bertrand,* and his 
researches will be of assistance to workers on our Melaleuca oils. 
Oils have also been prepared from our indigenous Mentlias and 
Prostantheras , also from Zieria Smithii , but only superficially 
examined. Atliero&perma has been alluded to under “ Drugs, 1 ’ while 
certain sweet-scented oils will be referred to briefly under perfumes. 
I could indicate a number of other plants awaiting investigation as 
regards their essential oils, but cut bono so long as the commonest 
species remain practically untouched. 
FIXED OILS. 
Very little has been done at any time, and probably nothing at 
all quite recently, in the matter of the fixed oils contained in our 
native plants. The research chemist has therefore in this direction 
what is practically un worked ground. Some of our Sapotaceous seeds 
will doubtless prove to be good oil yi elders — e.ff., Black Apple ( Achras 
austra is, R. Br.), the seeds of which are very similar to those of 
Bassia l at l folia, Roxb., which yield Mali wall oil in India. The seeds 
of liicinocarpus pinifolius, Desf. (Euphorbiaceay), Quaudong kernels 
( Fusanus acuminalis , R, Br ) (Santalacefe) , might be examined, to 
begin with, the principal difficulty being the collection of the seeds. 
But the acquisition of raw material is never an insuperable difficulty 
to the chemist in earnest in the matter. 
PERFUMES. 
It may not be strictly scientific to divide Perfumes from Essential 
Oils, but it is convenient in practice — at least from an economic 
point of view. We have very many sweet-scented flowers, and they 
might he jotted down as observed, in order that experimenters may 
subject them to distillation, or adopt other means to arrive at the 
properties or composition of the odours. In many cases the amount 
of oil or other fragrant body that comes over is very minute, 
rendering, on this ground alone, the work of the experimenter very 
difficult. 
* Compt. Rend., cxvi., 1070; Bull. Soc. Chem. [3] ix., 432; Journ. Chein. Soc. 
lxiv., 523, 727 ; Pharm. Journ. [3] xxiii., 989. 
