Chemistry of Essential Oils

168 THE CHEMISTRY OF ESSENTIAL OILS

" Yu-Ju oil " is a term applied to an essential oil which is obtained

from the so-called " Oil Tree," indigenous to southern Formosa, and

which is closely related to camphor oil in its properties. Its failure,

however, to yield camphor in the course of production is the chief

feature differing from camphor oil, and evidently indicates the reason

why the natives call the mother-tree, " Iil-chhiu " or " Oil Tr,ee".

Similarly, the term " Yu-boku " or " Yu-bun-boku," as frequently ap-

plied by the Japanese to the tree, which yields only a little camphor,

and a large quantity of oil, suggests the inconspicuously small percent-

age of camphor obtainable.

The Yu-Ju tree is identical, in its external forms, with the camphor

tree (Cinnamomum camphora Nees et Eberm.), and the camphor

manufacturers mainly rely, as the sole means of discriminating between

them, upon the odour of shavings taken from the root, outside of which

no particular method seems to be in current use.

The following are the physical characters of a number of samples of

Yu-Ju oil:—

Place of Origin.

Shinkoko

Daipauriau

No.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10

11 (a)

11(6)

Colour.

I Light golden-yellow

Golden-yellow

Light golden-yellow

Golden-yellow

Light golden-yellow

Slightly greenish-

yellow

Slightly greenish

yellow

12 (fl) i Slightly greenish-

I yellow

12 (6) Light golden-yellow

dat

0-945

0-942

0-951

0-967

0-966

0-961

0-961

0-963

0-955

0-947

0-954

0-953

0-972

0-951

13

12

184

14

15

16

,,

,,

aoat t

+ 29-22°

+ 18-88°

+ 19-50°

+ 22-48°

+ 24-42°

+ 29-85°

+ 26-52°

+ 26-95°

+ 25-35°

+ 27-30°

+ 21-00°

-h 21-30°

+ 30-80°

+ 28-30°

13

12

13£

14

15

»»

16

»i

j,

»

7 ID at t°.

1-47596

1-47457

1-47869

1-48191

1-48568

1-48045

1-48326

1-48326

1-47850

1-47567

1-47694

1-47694

1-47746

1-48278

19

20

19

20

20*

21

20

19J

19

„

„

This oil contains furfurol, a-pinene, camphene, /2-pinene, cineol,
camphor, a-terpineol, and safrol.

OIL OF SHIU.
The Shiu-Sho tree, which thrives in the camphor regions of Formosa,
in association with the camphor tree, but which was formerly considered
as of no value, has recently been shown by scientific investigations to
be capable of playing a prominent part as material for the production
of camphor or linalol, furnishing a fair example of possible develop-
ment.
The tree is closely related to the camphor tree, but its exact botani-
cal relationship is not known.
The oil distilled from the wood of this tree is rich in linalol, and has
an odour recalling that of linaloe oil. It has the following characters :—
Specific gravity....... 0'870 to 0*895
Optical rotation
Acid value.
Eater „.
Total alcohols as linalol

- 1° „ - 16°

0 „ 1

0-5 „ 30

65 to 90 per cent.