CAJEPUT OIL, a volatile oil obtained by distillation from the leaves of the myrtaceous tree Melaleuca Leucadendron. The trees yielding the oil are found throughout the Indian Archipelago, the Malay Peninsula and over the hotter parts of the Australian continent; but the greater portion of the oil comes from Celebes. The oil is prepared from leaves which are macerated in water, and distilled after fermenting for a night. It is extremely pungent and has the odour of a mixture of turpentine and camphor. It con sists mainly of cineol (see TERPENES), from which cajuputene having a hyacinthine odour can be obtained by distillation with phosphorus pentoxide. The drug is a typical volatile oil, and is used internally in doses of 2 to 3 minims, for the same purposes as, say, clove oil. It is frequently employed externally as a counter-irritant.