9 4 
On strongly cooling with liquid carbonic acid and ether, it solidifies to a crystalline mass. The 
copper can be removed from the oil by shaking with a concentrated solution of tartaric acid. As can be 
seen from its spectroscopic behaviour, chlorophyllan,* * * § oxidized chlorophyll, is contained also with the 
copper in the crude oil. 
Composition .—The first chemical investigations dealt almost exclusively with the principal 
constituent of Cajeput oil, the elementary composition of which, C 10 H 18 O, was correctly recognised as early 
as 1833 by Blanchet.f The identity of this body, which was called cajeputene hydrate by Schmidt,§ 
cajeputol by Gladstone,{ also by Wright and Lambert,|| with cineol was shown by Wallachli in 1884. 
He prepared the halogen and hydrohalogen compounds. A further proof was finished by Wallach and 
Gildemeister** by the oxidation of the fraction in question to cineolic acid C 10 H 16 O 5 , melting at 196-197°. 
Another important constituent of Cajeput oil, which in regard to the amount present takes second 
place, is the solid terpineol,ff C 10 H lg (), discovered by Voiry,jJ which is present in the free state, as well 
as in the form of its acetic acid ester. 
Terpenes are present in the oil to only a small extent; the laevogvrate fraction boiling at 155-165° 
gives with hydrochloric acid a solid kevogyrate monohydrochloride C 10 H 1(J HC1 J j melting at 126-128°. 
1 - pinene is therefore present. 
Several aldehydes are present in the first fraction. Voiry obtained by separation with sodium 
bisulphite a liquid of the properties of valeric aldehyde. The second aldehyde, smelling like oil of bitter 
almonds, is probably benzaldehvde.—“The Volatile Oils” (Gildemeister and Hoffmann, Kremer’s trans¬ 
lation, pp. 518-22). 
I 'will give a few more notes on Cajeput oil, but I am a little uncertain as to 
whether the particular variety of Melaleuca which produces it is actually indigenous 
in Australia. But whether it is actually indigenous or not, the oil yielded by the 
various species of Melaleuca possesses a greater or less family likeness, and as the 
oil of the present species has been most worked at, the notes will be useful as a 
guide. 
Bumphius says that the leaves are gathered on a warm day and placed in a 
sack, where they become hot and damp. They are then macerated in water, and 
left to ferment for a night, and afterwards submitted to distillation. Two sacksful 
of the leaves yielded only about three fluid drachms of the oil. Lesson’s account is 
also given in Bentley and Trimen’s Medicinal Plants. This is probably a proper 
and convenient way of treating the leaves of many of our myrtaceous trees with the 
view of extracting the oil they contain. 
Cajuput, or Cajeput oil, is much used in India as an external application for rheumatism. It is a 
powerful anti-spasmodic dilfusable stimulant and sudorific. It is coming more into use in European 
practice. It varies in colour from yellowish-green to bluish-green ; it is a transparent mobile fluid, with an 
agreeable camphoraceous odour and bitter aromatic taste, sp. gr. 0 926; it remains liquid at 13° C., and 
deviates the ray of polarised light to the left. (The author has noticed the oil of every shade of brown, 
but when exposed to the light it in a few days turns to a greenish colour.) , . , When the oil is 
* Pharm. Zeitschr. f. lhmsl ., 27, p. 548; Jahresb, f. Pharm., 1883, p. 317. 
f Liebig’s Amialen, 7, r* 161. 
f Journ. Chem. Soc., 14, p. 163 ; Journ. f. prakt Chem., 82, p. 189. 
§ Journ. Chem. Soc., 25, p. 1 ; Pharm. Journ., iii, 2, p. 746 ; Jahresb. f. Chem!<, 1.872, p. 815 
|| Berichte, 7, p. 598 ; Pharm. Journ., iii, 5, p. 234. 
Liebig’s Amialen, 225, p. 315. 
** Liebig’s Amialen, 246, p. 276. 
ifBerichte ron Schimmd <£• Co., April, 1892, p. 7. 
ft Compt. rend., 106, p. 1533 ; Bull. Soc. Chim,, ii, 50, p 108 ; Journ. da Pharm , v, 13, p 149 
