io6  Oreodaphne  Calif ornica. 
ing  in  the  vicinity  of  the  tree  will  even  produce  asthma.  That  it  is 
not  without  some  action  on  the  system  has  been  proved  by  the  inhal- 
ation of  its  odor,  often  producing  dizziness  and  violent  headache. 
All  parts  of  the  tree  contain  volatile  oil,  but  the  leaves  yield  the  most, 
about  four  per  cent,  being  obtained  by  distillation.  The  oil  is  of  a 
straw-color,  limpid,  and  has  a  pungent  aromatic  odor,  resembling  a 
mixture  of  nutmegs  and  cardamoms.  Its  taste  is  warm  and  camphor- 
ous.  It  burns  with  a  bright,  smoky  flame,  leaving  a  carbonaceous 
residue.  Its  specific  gravity  "936.  It  is  soluble  in  about  looo  parts 
water,  and  mixes  in  all  proportions  with  alcohol  and  ether.  The  oil, 
when  inhaled,  produces  dizziness  and  headache,  and  is  therefore 
deemed  to  have  a  marked  action  on  the  nervous  system,  a  property 
which  has  been  applied  to  its  medicinal  use.  Dr.  Silver  recommends 
the  smelling  of  the  oil  in  nasal  catarrh  and  nervous  headache,  and 
speaks  of  successful  results. 
Exain'ination  of  the  Oil. — The  method  of  investigation  adopted  was 
that  recommended  by  Frederick  Rochleder  in  his  work  "  On  the  Prox- 
imate Analysis  of  Plants  and  Vegetable  Substances." 
The  oil  being  neutral  to  test-paper,  it  was  tested  for  aldehydes  with 
a  concentrated  solution  of  bisulphite  of  soda,  with  which  no  combina- 
tion could  be  effected,  even  after  the  application  of  heat. 
A  fragment  of  sodium  introduced  into  the  oil,  previously  dried  by 
contact  with  chloride  of  calcium,  produced  no  effect  until  a  gentle  heat 
was  applied,  when  the  metal  dissolved  slowly,  with  the  disengagement 
of  numerous  gas  bubbles,  the  oil  assuming  a  reddish-brown  color.  It 
now  possessed  an  alkaline  reaction,  and  the  peculiar  pungent  odor  was 
not  distinguished. 
To  prove  whether  the  oxygenated  body  present  was  a  compound 
ether,  the  oil  was  treated  with  ammonia  without  producing  an  amide, 
and  no  acid  was  separated  by  prolonged  treatment  with  baryta. 
By  slow  distillation,  with  an  excess  of  coarsely-powdered  soda  lime, 
a  colorless,  limpid  distillate  was  obtained,  of  an  aromatic  odor,  resem- 
bling oil  of  nutmegs.  It  gave  a  slight  reaction  with  sodium,  but,  after 
redistillation  over  soda  lime,  and  again  over  sodium,  it  was  obtained 
neutral.  It  possessed  all  the  characteristics  of  a  hydrocarbon,  free  from 
oxygenated  bodies. 
Two  fluidounces  of  the  crude  oil,  freed  from  moisture  by  contact 
with  chloride  of  calcium,  were  introduced  into  a  small  glass  retort, 
having  a  thermometer  inserted  in  its  tubulure.  It  was  slowly  heated 
up  to  190°  C,  and  about  four  drachms  of  a  colorless  oil  was  obtained. 
/Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
1       Mar.,  1875. 
