IIOSMARI'NUS OFF1CINA'LIS,!Rosrmary, a term which is apt to lead to the confounding of Rosemary with the Ledum palustre or wild marsh-rosemary, which has very different and even dangerous properties. Genuine rosemary is a shrub, a native of the south of Europe, Asia Minor, and China. To the bees feeding on the flowers, the flavour of Narbonne honey is said to be owing. The officinal part is the top or npper part of the twigs. The flowers were termed st ethos, being so highly esteemed, as if it were the flower of flowers. This name it is necessary to know, as many of the earlier prepa rations come under it, rather than under rosinarinus. The leaves are about an inch long, linear, slightly revolute at the margins, dark green and reticulate on the upper surface, hoary and white on the under. The leaves and calyces of the flowers have n strong, pene trating, aromatic odour, which is rendered stronger by bruising them ; end a bitter, burning, camphor-like taste. They owe this to the pre sence of tannic, acid, bitter matter, perhaps resin, and especially to a volatile oil, of which one drachm may, by distillation, be obtained from one pound of the leaves.
Oil of rosemary (Olein Rorismarini, or 01. Anthoa) is chiefly pre pared In Spain and the south of France, by distillation of the leaves and flowers. At first it is nearly transparent and very limpid, but by time it becomes both yellowish and thicker. It possesses the strong
penetrating odour of rosemary, with a camphor.like intermixture, and a burning take. It has an acid re-action. The specific gravity varies with the purity and age of the specimen; it is commonly hut by rectification with alcohol it is brought to 0'89 or It mixes with alcohol of '83 in every proportion. By shaking with potass, or by the evaporation and absorption of oxygen which Hine efRets, it deposits a stearopten, or rosemary-camphor, to the extent of a tenth part. Hydrochloric' acid gas blacken', it, but does not form an artificial camphor. With iodine it partially explodes.
The oil of rosemary of commerce is an artificial preparation of oil of turpentine distilled with rosemary ; it is also adulterated with spike oil, obtained from the Lavandula Spica. This may always be dis tinguished from the genuine by not reddening litmus-paper.
Rosemary possesses valuable stimulant and carminative properties ; but it is chiefly employed as a perfume, entering into the composition of the Queen of Hinigary's Water, Esu de Cologne, and aromatic vinegar. Properly diluted it forms a useful evaporating lution. 1t is also used in preparations for promoting the growth of hair and preventing baldness.