250 THE CHEMISTEY OF ESSENTIAL OILS
A Greek origanum oill of unknown botanical origin has been found
to have the following characters:—
Specific gravity 0-935
Optical rotation 0°
Refractive index 15020
Phenols,...63 per cent.
It was soluble in 4 volumes of 70 per cent, alcohol.
The Imperial Institute has examined the oil from a species of
origanum from Cyprus found near Lapithos, locally known as " rikha-
non ". The plant was described by E. M. Holmes as a new species
under the name .of 0. Bevani In August, 1916, 49 Ib. of the dried
flowering plants without roots were obtained and examined at the
Institute. The material, which contained 98 per cent, moisture, yielded
19 per cent, of volatile oil, which is only about half the yield of the
ordinary Cyprus Origanum. The oil when first distilled was pale yellow,
but soon acquired a reddish-brown colour; it had the characteristic thyme
odour. It had the following characters :—
Specific gravity ac 15°.... 0*951
Optical rotation.+ 0° 24'
Refractive index at 23° C..... 1-51
Phenols per cent...... 75
Solubility in 70 per cent, alcohol at 15° 0..In 2-7 vols.PATCHOULI OIL.Patchouli oil is distilled from the dried leaves of several types of the
patchouli plant, of which the principal is Pogostemon patchouli. E. M.
Holmes^8 gives the following interesting information as to its botanical
source and origin :—
Patchouli has long been known and cultivated in India and the Straits
Settlements and various islands of the Indian Ocean, so long indeed, that
its original country was lost sight of until quite recently. The first notice
of its appearance in European commerce appears to be that given by Mr.
J. J. Virey in 1826,4 who describes it as having been brought from the
Isle of Bourbon, where it was evidently cultivated; the flowers being un-
known, and it was doubtfully referred to as Plectranthus graveolens, a
native of New Holland. It was spoken of by Mr. Virey as an insectifuge
for clothes and shawls.
The first notice of a sale of the leaves in this country is an account
given by Dr. J. Pereira
6
of forty-six cases put up for sale at Garraway's
Coffee House on 27 June, 1844, by Mr. Ellis, a drug broker of Fenchurch
Street. It was packed in cases of two sizes, containing respectively 50 Ib.
and 100 Ib.; 6s. per Ib. was asked for it, but no bids were made. It is
rather remarkable that this lot was said to have come from New York,
where it was reported to have been carried from China. The dried plant
as imported consisted of the leafy tops, 1 ft. or more in length, the stems
being round and woody and the branches obtusely quadrangular and the
leaves serrate, or crenate-serrate. But it was recognised by Dr. Pereira
as an East Indian product, for he says that it had been introduced into
the Botanic Gardens at Calcutta from Penang, but that up to 1841 it had
not flowered there.
1
2 Evans' Analytical Notes, 1910.
4 P. and E.O.R. (1915), 6, 19.^8 Ibid. (1913), 369.
Jour, de Pharm. (1826), xii. 61. 6 Pharm. Jour. (1), iv. 808.