26 
Notes  on  Patchouli. 
/  Am.  Jour.  Pyiarmr 
(      Jan.,  1881. 
depending  on  freedom  from  adulteration  and  careful  manufacture^ 
whether  derived  from  stale  or  recent  plants,  and  particularly  on  the 
variety  of  the  plant  from  which  it  is  produced.  Whether  in  the  case 
of  patchouli  there  are  plants  differing  specifically  or  not,  it  is  certain 
that  there  are  varieties,  arising  perhaps  from  hybridization,  cultivation 
or  climatic  influence,  and  there  are  still  greater  differences  in  the  aroma 
of  the  oil,  arising  either  from  method  of  production  or  adulteration. 
The  bales  which  now  arrive  in  London  are  mostly  from  Province 
Wellesley,  and  consist  of  leaves  and  woody  stalks  (too  large  a  propor- 
tion of  the  latter)  of  the  wild  variety  known  as  "  Doun  Tildm  Utan,^^ 
Doun  signifying  leaf,  Tildm  bed  or  mattress,  also  including  the  idea 
"health-giving,"  and  outan  "wild,'^  meaning  that  the  natives  stuff 
their  beds  and  pillows  with  the  leaf  and  believe  in  its  health-giving 
and  life  prolonging  virtues.  Now,  even  assuming  that  these  bales 
consist  of  this  plant  alone,  unadulterated  with  leaves  of  any  other 
plant,  that  they  really  have  been  properly  cured  and  dried,  and  do  not 
turn  mouldy  or  rancid  in  transit  and  arrive  sound  and  unseadamaged^ 
and  that  during  the  time  they  are  stored  in  warehouse  in  London  they 
escape  dampness  (which  the  leaf  is  remarkably  apt  to  absorb),  the  oil 
which  is  afterwards  distilled  from  these  leaves  differs  in  aroma  from 
that  distilled  from  the  leaves  on  the  spot  immediately  after  the  final 
drying  process.  The  majority  of  the  bales  imported  are  re-shipped  to 
a  German  port  and  the  oil  distilled  from  them  is  said  to  be  often 
adulterated  to  the  extent  of  even  60  per  cent.,  with  cheaper  oils^ 
mostly  with  those  of  cedar  and  cubebs.  [It  is  remarkable  that  these 
have  been  selected  as  adulterants,  as  the  camphor  of  patchouli  is 
isomeric  with  that  of  cubebs  and  with  the  concrete  oil  of  cedar.] 
("Comptes  Rendus,'' January  8,  1877.) 
The  method  of  cultivation  of  the  plant  and  preparation  of  the  oil^ 
as  practised  by  Mr.  Fisher  of  Singapore,  is  as  follows :  The  variety 
selected  for  cultivation  is  known  locally  as  Tildm  Wangi  (meaning 
"fragrant"),  obtained  from  the  island  of  Rhio,  near  Singapore,  in  the 
Straits  Settlements.  The  soil  most  suitable  is  a  rather  stiff  clay  with 
only  a  small  percentage  of  silica,  and  land  of  this  description  found 
near  the  coast  (containing  traces  of  marine  deposits)  is  planted  in  rows 
about  4  or  5  feet  apart.  The  plants  are  propagated  by  cuttings 
struck  in  the  open  air,  Avhich  until  rooted,  are  sheltered  from  the  sun 
by  pieces  of  cocoa-nut  shell.  The  harvest  is  made  in  dry  weather  and 
Avhen  the  sun  has  drawn  up  the  dew  from  the  leaves ;  the  tops  and 
