502 THE CHEMISTEY OF ESSENTIAL OILS
European merchants, however, now have their agents both in the Kwang-
Si and Tonkin districts, who collect the oil immediately it is distilled and
transport it either to Hong-Kong, Pakhoi, or Haiphong, from where it is
shipped to Europe. The greatest care is necessary in purchasing this
oil on account of the heavy adulteration, especially with petroleum,
practised by the Orientals. In Annam the process of distillation is as
follows. About 20 Ib. of the fruit are placed in an iron pan and covered
with water. Upon this is placed, bottom upwards, so as to form a cover,
a second iron pan pierced with a circular opening, over which is placed
an earthen vessel with three small orifices in the lower part, which allow
the access of vapour into this vessel. These orifices are covered on the
inside by small ear-shaped hoods which cause the vapour to be spread
over to the sides of the vessel. This earthen vessel is covered with an
iron pan, which performs the part of a refrigerator, and into which a con-
tinuous current of cold water is admitted. The joints of the first two
iron pans are luted and the earthen vessel and the refrigerator are jointed
with rag bandages. The vapour reaches the earthen vessel and is con-
densed when it strikes the bottom of the refrigerator, and falls into a
circular trough at the bottom of the vessel, whence it escapes through a
small pipe. The average annual production of oil is as follows:—
District of Po-Se 90,000 kilos.
„ Lung-Chow 30,000 ,,
„ Lang So 30,000 „
The Chevalier d'Hanoi gives the following account of the tree as
grown in the Tonquin districts:—
" The particular species producing the oil belongs to the N.O. Magno-
liacea, the Illicium verum (Hooker), also named by Loureiro, Illicium
anisatum, but this must not be confused with the Illicium anisatum of
Linnaeus and Gaertner. This latter, which grows wild in Japan and
China, and has been met with also in Tonquin by Eberhardt, yields an
essence, not only useless, but, according to certain writers, actually
poisonous. There are also other species of Illicium equally valueless^
notably Illicium Griffithii, of India, and its Tonquin variety, Illicium
Cambodianum.
" Illicium verum is a little tree from 8 to 15 metres high. The trunk,,
frequently bifurcate at the base, is about 25 to 30 centimetres thick, and
rises to a height of 1£ or 2 metres without branches. The branches are
much subdivided, and have very heavy foliage, giving to the tree a pyra-
midal appearance like the cypress.
" The leaves are evergreen, the flowers appear twice a year, and the
young fruits are star-shaped, giving to the tree the name of ' star anise \
The various species maybe distinguished by the appearance of the fruits.
Those of Illicium anisatum are covered with hairs, those of the other
species above named, and notably Illicium verum, are smooth, but while
the fruits of Illicium Griffithii and its varieties have stars of ten to thir-
teen points, Illicium verum has stars of eight points (rarely seven or nine).
The last named—the only one of interest to us—has certain variations
which it might be desirable to study in view of a possible selection. For
instance, we have observed in the neighbourhood of Langson certain rare
specimens producing exclusively fruits of nine carpels, and another form
which has unusually fat carpels, presumably richer in essence.
" In Tonquin the natives cultivate it in the north-east on the Chinese
frontier, chiefly within a radius of 20 to 30 kilometres of Langson."