346 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[November 2 , 1891 . 
tins and the I’hilippino lalands, and, excepting lemon- 
grass, is probably the only species of the grasses 
under discusHion occurring in the New World, being 
abundant in the Antilles, Porto-Rico, Jamaica, Brazil, 
&c 
It was observed by Virey,(;/) that the word net- intho 
Hindu language means “along, creeping root.” The 
toots of this gross closely resemble in appearance the 
toots of the “ Chiendcnt-A-balai ” {A. Iscfnemum. Linn.), 
roots which are used for making carpet- brooms, being 
long, thin, and creeping, with a bark of a pale yellowish 
brown or light tawny colour. The roots extend in a 
fibrous tangled mass. In the “Gazetteer of theGen- 
tral Provinces ” this grass is deseribed as a niiisance 
to the agriculturists, as it grows on the rich soil and 
is very ^fficult to eradicate, but the *‘Oudb Crazottoor, 
III., p. 176, says—" it is goneinJly strictly preserved, 
as it takes time to spread, and proprietors are averse 
to its being dug up forKhas." Tliis sceinsto indicate 
a different value Being put on it in tho diltorent 
localities within tho wide range of its growth. This 
plant is alluded toon some copperplate inscripitions 
discovered near Etawali, south-west of Am-a (dated 
A D IlOa and 1171), as being one of the articles of com- 
merce on which the Kings of Kanauj levied taxes.Cflj) 
The leaves are Inodorous. Tho roots have a strong, 
peculiar odour, somewhat like myrrh, combined with 
that of some flower. This odour partly dissappoavs 
when tho root is dried, but immediately manifests 
Itself on tho application of moisture, and is retain- 
ed so tenaciously as to be perceptible after the root 
bas even been scalded, or partly boiled ; they con- 
tain a rosin of a deep brown colour, having an 
acid taste and an odour like myrrh, a colouring 
matter partly soluble in water, a free acid, a i^t 
of lime, a considerable quantity of oxide of iron.ffj J 
and a powerful volatile oil, which is rather diflicult 
to extract thoroughly in the ordinary way by reason 
of its high boiling-point and its association with 
the resin ; this difficulty may be oyorcoine by placing 
the root in a steam- jaokettod still with just sufli- 
ciont water to dx’ench it, and allowing it to stand 
for a short time, so that the water may iienetrate 
Into the tissues. Then, by admitting stoani of about 
15 lbs. pressure into tho jacket, tho light oil (for there 
is a light oil of a lower boiling-point) will come over 
and may be collected seporately, and a current of 
steam of LI lb. gradually raised to 2S lb. pressure 
afterwards admitted into the still by a pipe at the 
bottom can be blown through the mass until oil ceases 
to drop into tho receiver. Ur. Piesse, in his work on 
perfumes, states the yield to be 10 oz per cwt. j but, 
according to Watt, (c) the yield of 100 lb. of root is only 
2 oz The crude heavy oil is very viscid, of a dark 
brown colour, consisting mainly of a liquid boiling 
&it 280® 283® C Dr Glfl'dtiton 6 found tniittno action of 
sodium proved this to be a mixture of two bodies, the 
one decoWosable, the other unalterable by that metal. 
He states the sp. gr. at 19° 5 C. to be l OOi./rfJ 
Tho UBOB of votlvor In Kngliind are contined to the 
distilation of tho oil, which commands _ a very high 
price. The oil enters into tho composition of maiw 
favourite perfumes, as “Mousselino des Iiides,” “Mare- 
chal," “Bouquet du Roi," .Vc., and it is known that 
in India the roots are woven into fans, screens to cool 
the ntmosphoro, ornamental baskets, Ac. Ur. Irvine, 
in his medical topography of Ajmero, mentions the 
oil in the preparation of sherbet. In India it enters 
into tho composition of several cooling medicines. 
An aromatic bath is prepared by adding to a tub 
of water tho following substancos Roots of A.miiri- 
eatu.i I’avonia odorala, santal-wood, and a fragrant 
wood called “ Padina Kttstha.’Y/-; The oil is adminis- 
tered in 2 minim doses tucheckyoniiting in cholera. 
Mixed with benzoin, andsmoked in the form of cigar- 
derived from the leaves of A n,/ro 2 H>ffon 
Journal de Vharmacie, xiii. p- 
a Pioc. Asiatic Soo. Bengal, Aug. 187H, p. ll.l. 
h \Q.nqVLii\\n*H Annales (Iv Clnmn't *' 
c Watt’s /hV.. ohajuinti'f/ iHGH. V. p. yy*'- 
d Journ. Ckem. Soc., Jan. 1872. 
e JIMu Mat. Mtd., p. 271. 
LinnaPus. Syn. A. Uoxb. ; .1. vardoules, Neos; 
A. michnodes, Trinnin8;(7y Cniiihopo</on Martiin, Munro; 
aua.l. cahwnis aro7naficM, Koylo. C(fJi 00- A. Iwaran- 
ciuta, Schultes, is identical with, or a more form of, 
A. itchiV)iauthi(s^ Linn. 
This plant has many names in India, such as 
Agyaghas, Ganda-bena, MIrchia-gand, itc., fully 
detailed in Watt’s “ Dictionary of Economic Pro- 
ducts,” i. p. 2-49. Tho oil is known in commerce under 
a variety of names, such as : in h^ngland, gincer-pass 
oil, Turkish oil of geranium, Uusa-grass oil, oil of 
Nimar, or Nemanr. In the otto-producing districts of 
tho llalkan it is known to Europeans as ossenco of 
geranium and oil of ralma ro.sa ; in India it is called 
liusa-oil, lloshol, Uusa-ka-tel ; in Egypt, Arabia, 
and Constantimmle it appears under tne names of 
IcLris-Yaghi and Entreahah, names which may mislead 
to tho belief in a variety of oils produced from several 
plants. These names seem to do mostly of modern 
origin, and to indicate the use to which tho oil is 
put. As pointed out by tho authors of the “ Phar- 
macograpnia,” these names look very like a corruption 
from HoJte-oti, the more so since the principal con- 
sumptiou is as an adulterant of otto of rose. It is 
curious, however, that, as stated by Ur. Dymock, 
the Indian distillers and dealers know notliing of 
this use. The name “geranium-oil” has caused 
much confusion with the time goraninm-oil, derived 
fiom various species of Pelartjonium (which will bo 
afterwards described), and has apparently come into 
existence from the fact that the so-called “geranium 
grass” oil is used to adulterate the true geranium oil, 
which, in its turn, is used to adulterate the otto of rose. 
The grass is found growing wild in large tracts in tlie 
nortliern and eastern provinces, particularly in tho 
north-west provinces of the Punjab; it is abundant 
everywhere in the Deccan, in Central India, and 
is cultivated in Kashmir in localities formerly 
devoted to tho rose. Dr. Roxburgh states that he 
first noticed tlio plant as grown from seeds for- 
warded to him by General Martin, colloctod at 
Halaghat during the last war with Tippoo Sultan. 
Tho grass liowerH in (October and November, and 
is then lit for entting. Dr. Dymock says that 373 lb. 
of grass received from Khandosh and submitted to 
distillation under his own superintendence in Bombay 
yielded 1 lb. .*'4 oz. of oil. 
Tho “Bombay Gazetteer,” III., page 251, gives an 
interesting account oftlie manner in which liusa oil 
used to be prepared at Panch Mahals : — “The grass- 
oil from the large-bladed aromatic grass known as 
lloisa, which used to grow over large estates of waste 
land, was sold in considerable quantities at 4 rupees 
per lb., and used freely as a remedy in rheumatism 
. . . The oil was extracted by distillation ; a rough 
stone oven was built by tho side of a stream, and in it 
a large metal cauldron was placed, filled with bundles 
of grass and water; a wooden lid was put on, and 
sealed with a plaster of ground pulse. Through a 
hole in tho lid one end of a hollow bamboo was 
thrust, and the other end passed into a smaller metal 
vessel securely fixed under water in tho bed of the 
stream. The oven was then heated, and the vapour 
passing through tho hollow bamboo was, by the cold- 
ness of the smaller vessel, condensed.” 
Apparently the first mention of the oil was by 
Maxwell, iu 1825 ; but it is only within compara- 
tively recent times that tho oil has become an article 
of commercial value. 
From tho fact that tho largest supplies of Rushaoil 
are obtained from tho Nimar district, at IvhandoHh, 
Bombay Presidency, tho oil has come to boar the com- 
mercial name of Nimar, Nimaur, and Naimir. Dr. 
Dymock, describing tho manufacture in this district, 
states that an iron still is used, and only a very Binall 
quantity of water added to the grass ; when the still 
is carelessly worked the grass burns, and commu- 
nicates a dark colour to tho oil, which should bo a 
pale-sherry colour when good. Its odour at first 
recalls that of the rose, but this sensation is almost 
/ Tt-in. Orannnnnij iii. t. 327. 
<j lUnsi. oyBot. Himalayan Mountains^ i. p. 425 t 97. 
h Ventenat’s Jardin de Cels^ t. 89. 
i Calcutta Med. and rhys, Trann., i. p. 307. 
