October 7,1871.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
2S1 
OIL OF ANDROMEDA LESCHENATJLTII.* 
. . . Early in 1807 Mr. MTvor requested me to 
examine an essential oil which he had obtained from 
a very common hill plant, the Andromeda Lcsche- 
mndtii. I did so, and was enabled to identify the 
oil as methyl-salicylic acid,'and almost identical with 
the Canadian oil of wintergreen. 
Oil of wintergreen is an object of some slight com¬ 
merce, being used in perfumery, and occasionally in 
medicine as an anti-spasmodic. The oil from this In¬ 
dian source contains less of the peculiar hydrocarbon 
oil, which forms a natural and considerable admix¬ 
ture with the Canadian oil, and therefore is some¬ 
what superior in quality to the latter. The com¬ 
mercial demand for the oil is not, however, con¬ 
siderable enough to make its occurrence in India of 
much direct importance. 
It occurred to me in 1809 that'methyl-salicylic 
acid would, however, under suitable treatment, fur¬ 
nish carbolic acid according to a decomposition de¬ 
scribed b} r Gerhard t. After a few experiments I 
was successful in preparing considerable quantities 
of pure carbolic acid. 
The method of manufacture is as follows:—■ 
The oil is heated with a dilute solution of a caustic 
alkali, by which means it is saponified and dissolved, 
metliylic alcohol of great purity being liberated. 
The solution of the oil is then decomposed by any 
mineral acid, when beautiful crystals of salicylic 
acid are formed. These are gathered, squeezed, and 
dried. They are then mixed with common quick¬ 
lime, or sand, and distilled in an iron retort; carbolic 
acid of great purity and crystallizing with the greatest 
readiness, passes into the receiver. 
This acid is equal to the purest kind obtained 
from coal tar, and employed in medicine. I exhi¬ 
bited a specimen of it at the Neilglierry Exhibition 
in 1869. It, of course, possesses all the qualities 
which have rendered this substance almost indis¬ 
pensable in modern medical and surgical practice. 
I had hoped, from the inexhaustible abundance 
with which the plant grows on the Neilgherries, that 
the carbolic acid from this source could be prepared 
at less cost than that imported. I have not yet had 
an opportunity of working on a large scale with 
an itinerant still, as would be necessary for its 
cheapest production; but from some calculations I 
have lately made, I am led. to think it can scarcely 
be prepared for less than the price of that procured 
from coal-tar. The purest kinds from the latter 
source cost four shillings a. pound; I estimate the 
cost of that from this indigenous source at from 
rupees 2. 8 to rupees 3. 8 (5 to 7 shillings) per pound 
in this country. 
The carbolic acid from the same source has certain 
advantages over the coal-tar acid, consequent on its 
extreme, purity. It is less deliquescent, and cannot 
possibly be open to the suspicion of contamination 
with certain other products of coal-tar which possess 
injurious qualities. This occasional suspicion, indeed, 
has led to the introduction of the costly thymol in 
France, as a substitute, in delicate cases, for carbolic 
acid. 
In conclusion, I am led to the belief that it would 
* Extract from letter from J. Broughton, Esq., Govern¬ 
ment Quinologist, to the Secretary to Government Revenue 
Department, Fort St. George, dated Ootacamund, 9th January, 
1871. 
Third Series, No. 07. 
not be advisable to prepare carbolic acid from this 
singular source, when the comparative cost shows 
that the gain must be very small or non-existent. 
But it appears to me well worthy of record, that 
should circumstances render the supply of the En¬ 
glish product difficult or uncertain, as in the case of 
war, or the English price increase, a practically in¬ 
exhaustible source exists in this country from which 
this indispensable substance, in its purest state, can 
be obtained at a slight enhancement of the present 
price. 
CERTAIN PROPERTIES OF THE TUTU 
PLANT (CORIARIA RTJ3CIFQLIA) * 
BY H. G. HUGHES, M.P.S., HOKITIKA. 
During the past year I have devoted my leisure to 
the investigation of the properties of the tutu plant, 
and communicated my results from time to time to Dr. 
Hector and Mr. Skey, who kindly assisted me with 
their criticisms. The following paper embodies a 
brief account of my experiments, which circumstances 
have unfortunately prevented my completing as I 
wished to have done. 
About three-quarters of a pound of the fresh 
ground shoots were treated with successive quan¬ 
tities of distilled water slightly acidulated. After 
filtering and adding the acetate of lead in excess, it 
was submitted to the action of sulphuretted hydrogen, 
again filtered and evaporated to the consistency of 
an extract. This extract was well washed with suc¬ 
cessive quantities of alcohol, filtered, evaporated and 
ammonia added, when a precipitate resembling 
kermes mineral was separated (resinous matter). 
It was still further concentrated, distilled water 
added and again filtered from precipitate ; evapora¬ 
tion continued, again treated with alcohol, filtered 
and evaporated to a syrupy consistence. On cool¬ 
ing, a few crystals formed with difficulty. This thick 
solution possessed very active properties, and a 
quantity of it, certainly not more than one-twelfth of a 
grain (I was scarcely aware of having tasted it), in 
five minutes’ time produced a most disagreeably irri¬ 
tating sensation in the throat, extending to the sto¬ 
mach, with pain across the region of the stomach 
and accompanied by nausea. In a quarter of an 
hour’s time vomiting came on, which continued more 
or less for two hours. Very unpleasant sensations 
continued for tw r o hours more, when, after great Hush¬ 
ing of the face, with all but intolerable heat, the effects 
passed away. Of course, not anything was taken to 
counteract the poison. On the addition of a little 
ether to the thick solution, a quantity of acicular 
crystals immediately made their appearance, but be¬ 
came redissolved as the ether slowly volatilized. 
The whole was afterwards shaken up with ether, 
the ethereal solution separated. Upon spontaneous 
evaporation, three or four drops of a fine vellow- 
coloured fragrant oil were left as residue. The fra- 
graney increased upon the application of a gentle heat. 
Upon evaporating the thick alcoholic solution, ciys- 
tals of supposed alkaloid formed. These were re¬ 
dissolved and recrystallized until their solution in 
alcohol was perfectly colourless. During the final 
evaporation of an alcoholic solution, an accident 
* Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, No¬ 
vember, 12, 1870. 
