3 1 6  Japanese  Oil  of  Peppermint,  {^"jii^is^^s""''"' 
Our  customer  could  give  no  namej  he  gave  us  a  small  flat  bottle  with  a  label  printed 
in  Chinese-looking  characters,  the  bottle  being  enclosed  in  a  small  paper  box.  We 
tried  London,  and  could  hear  of  nothing  like  it  except  at  Messrs.  Savory  &  Moore's, 
but  theirs  is  the  solid  article.  Our  customer  wishes  the  liquid.  It  is  used  for  neu- 
ralgia— a  drop  being  rubbed  on  the  affected  part.  Our  order  is  for  three  bottles. 
Can  you  help  us  in  the  matter? 
Yours  truly,  Frazer  &  Green. 
The  following  are  a  few  characteristics  of  the  liquid  Japanese  oil : 
It  is  soluble  in  any  quantity  of  ordinary  spirit  of  wine,  56°  O.  P., 
and  at  ordinary  temperatures. 
The  mixture  I  now  submit  contains  one  part  of  the  oil  in  eight  parts 
of  rectified  spirit.  It  dissolves  very  readily  in  any  proportion  and 
makes  a  clear  solution,  and  that  now  shown  will  give  some  idea  of  its 
behavior  when  employed  for  making  the  common  essence.  In  com- 
parison with  this,  I  now  place  two  others,  one  is  made  from  good 
American,  and  the  other  from  Mitcham  oil  of  peppermint,  and  in 
exactly  similar  proportions.  For  strength,  flavor  and  aroma  the  Eng- 
lish is  undoubtedly  the  best,  then  follows  the  Japanese,  and  lastly  the 
American. 
The  liquid  oil  has  the  power  of  dissolving  the  solid  or  crystalline  oil. 
With  the  aid  of  a  gentle  heat  the  proportions  are  one  to  four.  Here 
is  such  a  solution,  and  although  no  deposition  of  crystals  has  taken 
place  in  cooling,  I  have  no  doubt  if  submitted  to  cold,  the  crystals 
would  be  regained. 
The  solid  oil  is  also  capable  of  solution  in  ordinary  spirit  in  the  pro- 
portion of  one  to  two,  and  without  the  aid  of  heat,  simply  by  rubbing 
in  a  mortar.  I  submit  such  a  solution,  but  it  will  not  compare  in  point 
of  flavor  with  the  fluid  oil.  In  order  that  they  may  be  fairly  tried,  I 
have  added  some  spirit,  so  as  to  make  the  strength  one  to  eight,  as  in 
the  other  solutions. 
Of  course,  one  of  the  most  important  elements  in  connection  with 
this  subject  is  the  cost  of  the  oil  as  compared  with  others  in  the  mar- 
ket. As  I  have  already  stated,  the  small  quantities  as  yet  sent  over  are 
more  for  samples,  and  as  something  rare,  than  for  sale.  The  firm 
already  referred  to  have,  however,  written  me  that  70  lbs.  weight  of 
each  kind  are  coming  over  soon,  and  they  promise  when  this  lot  does 
arrive  to  give  me  notice,  stating  the  commercial  value  of  solid  and 
liquid.  As  their  memorandum  bears  date  of  13th  March,  we  may 
expect  ere  long  to  know  price  and  value. 
I  mav  further  state  that,  in  submitting  the  solid  oil  to  heat,  it  melts 
