MISCELLANY. 
349 
procured from the Jasmine and Bela flower. For this purpose the natives 
never make use of distillation, but extract the essence by causing it to be 
absorbed by some of the purest oleaginous seeds, and then expressing 
these in a common mill, when the oil given out has all the scent of the 
flower which has been made use of. The plan adopted, is to place on the 
ground a layer of the flower, about four inches thick, and two feet square; 
over this they put some of the Tel or Sesamum seed, wetted, about two 
inches thick, and two feet square; on this again is placed another layer of 
flowers, about four inches thick, as in the first instance; the whole is then 
covered with a sheet, which is held down by weights at the ends and 
sides. In this state it is allowed to remain from twelve to eighteen hours ; 
after this the flowers are removed, and other layers placed in the same 
way; this is also a third time repeated, if it be required to have the scent 
very strong. After the last process, the seeds are taken up in their swol- 
len state and placed in a mill ; the oil is then expressed, and possesses 
most fully the scent of the flower. The oil is kept in prepared skins, 
called dubbers, and is sold at so much per seer. The Jasmine and Bela 
(Jasminum Zamba) are the two flowers from which the natives in this 
district produce their scented oil ; the Chumbul (Jasminum grandiflorum) 
is another, but I have been unable to procure any of this. The season for 
the manufacture is coming on. The present oils were manufactured a year 
ago, and do not possess the powerful scent of that which has been recently 
prepared. Distillation is never made use of for this purpose, as it is with 
the roses, for the extreme heat (from its being in the middle of the rains 
when the trees come into flower,) would most likely carry off most of the 
scent. The Jasmine, or Chymbele, as it is called, is used very largely 
among the women ; the hair of the head and the body being daily smeared 
with some of it. The specimen that I send you costs at the rate of two 
rupees per seer. 
Edin. New Phil. Journ. 
Oil of Ergot — the Mode of Preparing it — iis\ Physical and Chemical Pro- 
perties. — Mr. Samuel Wright gives the following process as a convenient 
one for preparing the oil of ergot for ordinary purposes : — Digest the ergot 
in liq, potass, at a temperature of 120°-150°, until a perfect saponaceous 
solution be formed. The liquid is then to be diluted with half its weight 
of water, exactly neutralized with sulphuric acid, and submitted to distil- 
lation from a saline or an oil bath. The product is white, adhesive, and 
fatty-looking, almost free from empyreuma, and nearly tasteless. 
The readiest and best, though unfortunately, the most expensive way 
of obtaining this oil, is, he says, by percolating ergot in a state of fine 
powder, with sulphuric ether. By allowing the ether to evaporate spon- 
taneously, the oil of ergot is left in its purest form. 
As thus prepared, he adds, it usually consists of two portions — the one, 
