3  4  Oil  of  Calophyilum  Imp hy Hum .       }  ^^Z'^^^^^ 
water.  It  consists  of  barium  dimethyl-oxamate,  and  on  decomposition 
with  potash  yields  dimethylamin,  the  double  paltinum  salt  of  which 
forms  octohedra. 
It  is,  therefore,  evident  that  commercial  trimethylamin  is  not  pure, 
as  Vincent  ("  Bull.  Soc.  Chim.,"  29,  194,  and  217,  151)  declares  it  to 
be.  The  quantity  of  trimethylamin  present  is  but  small,  only  from  5  to 
10  per  cent.,  that  of  the  dimethylamin  being  about  50  per  cent.,  whilst 
the  remainder  consits  of  methylamin,  propylamin  and  butylamin,  in 
about  equal  propoitions. — Jour.  Che?n.  Soc.^  Nov.,  1879,  ^^^^  Compt. 
rend.  L.  T.  O'S. 
THE  OIL  OF  CALOPHYLLUM  INOPHYLLUM. 
By  J.  E.  O'CoNNER,  Simla. 
This  tree  is  a  member  of  the  natural  order  Guttifera^  an  order 
which  includes  many  useful  and  valuable  trees,  such  as  that  from  which 
gamboge  is  obtained,  the  Mesua  ferrea^  yielding  an  excellent  timber, 
the  mangosteen,  and  others.  It  is  grown  extensively  in  Java,  Ceylon 
and  India  ;  in  Bengal,  in  Madras,  in  Travancore  ;  in  the  Andamans 
(where  iVlr.  Kurz  says  it  attains  an  enormous  size)  and  other  places, 
succeeding  best,  it  is  said,  near  the  seacoast.  Roxburgh  states  that  it 
is  indigenous  near  the  shores  of  the  southern  parts.  Inland  it  is  rare, 
and  indeed  almost  non-existent.  It  is  believed  that  it  will  not  thrive 
beyond  a  certain  distance  from  the  coast.  In  Calcutta  it  is  to  be  seen 
in  the  Botanic  Gardens,  and  is  not  uncommon  in  private  gardens,  in 
many  of  which  it  has  attained  large  dimensions.  The  tree  is  one  of 
very  ornamental  appearance,  and  is  well  worth  cultivation  if  only  for 
the  beauty  of  its  foliage  and  fragrant  flowers.  It  is  described  in  botan- 
ical language  as  having  opposite,  simple,  coriaceous,  shiny,  closely- 
veined,  entire  leaves,  and  axillary  drooping  racemes  of  fragrant,  white, 
polygamous  flowers, 
From  the  seed-kernels  there  exudes  on  pressure  an  oil  which  is  used 
as  a  lamp  oil,  and  by  the  natives  as  a  medicine  for  external  application 
in  rheumatism.  The  oil  is  variously  called  Pinnay  and  Poon  oil  in 
Southern  India  (these  being  also  names  applied  to  the  tree),  Poonung  in 
Orissa,  and  Surpun-ka  tel  in  Hindustani.  The  Hindustani  name  of  the 
tree,  according  to  Roxburgh,  is  Sultana  Champa.  It  is  in  flower  and 
fruit  most  part  of  the  year,  but  the  harvest  for  oil  generally  occurs 
twice  a  year,  viz.:  in  August-September,  and  February-March. 
