The oil of Eucalyptus piperita, Sm., is the oldest oil of eucalyptus leaves, being mentioned as early as 1790.5) In 1853 the botanist Ferdinand von Muller recommended to the Province of Victoria the distillation of the leaves of the eucalyptus species.6) Bosisto,7) who had distilled experimentally the dried leaves in London, established in 1854 the first factory in Australia,8) and is, therefore, to be considered as the founder of this extensive industry.

Australian eucalyptus oil came into the German market about 1866 without any botanical reference as to its source. Probably it was principally the distillate from Eucalyptus amyg-dalina.

Eucalyptus Globulus was discovered in Tasmania in 1792 by Labillardiere and introduced into Europe in 1856 by Ramel.9) The oil of this species was obtained on a large scale, first in southern France, Algiers and California, and has become a staple article of commerce only since the early eighties of the past century.

1) Crell's Chem. Annalen 1786, H. 141.

2) Joh. F. Westrumb, Kleine physikalisch-chemische Abhandlungen. Leipzig 1788. Vol.2, No. 1.

3) Trommsdorff's Journ. der Pharm. 2, I. (1795), 115.

4) Earlier contributions on cajeput oil are: D. Martini, Dissertatio episto-laris, qua de oleo Wittnebiano seu Kajeput ejusque saluberrimis effect/bus exponit Guelpherb. 1751. - Joh. Fr. Cartheuser, De oleo cajeputi. Disser-tatio physico-chemica. Erfurt 1754.

5) Journal of a Voyage to New South Wales by John White. Surgeon-General to the Settlement, published 1790.

6) Ferd. v. Muller, Eucalyptographia. Melbourne 1879. - Ferd. v. Muller, Select Extra-Tropical Plants. IX. Edit. Melbourne 1895. p. 184.

7) Bosisto, Transact. Royal Soc. Victoria 1861 - 64. 8) Bericht von Schimmel & Co. October 1886, 13.

9) Bentley, On the characters, properties and uses of Eucalyptus Globulus. London 1854. - Sawer, Odorographia. London 1894. Vol.2, p. 241.