The virgin oil, recently extracted, is fluid, almost colourless, with a feeble odour, and not disagreeable flavour. Its sp. gr. is 0.926 at 15° (59° F.), and 0.871 at 94° (2011° F.); it thickens to a butter-like consistence at -15° (5° F.), and solidifies to a white mass at -274° (-174° F.). In the fresh state, it is largely used in Nassau, Switzerland, and other countries, as a substitute for olive-oil in salads, &c., but is scarcely to be considered as a first-class alimentary oil. The fire drawn oil is greenish, caustic, and siccative, surpassing linseed-oil in the last respect, and exhibiting the property more strongly as it becomes more rancid. On this account, it is preferred by many artists before all other oils. It affords a brilliant light ; and may be used in the manufac ture of soft-soaps.
Zachun-oil.—The seeds of Bulanites cegyptiaca, of India, Egypt, Senegambia, and W. Coast Africa, afford an oil called zachun by the negroes.
Miscellaneous and Unenumerated.—The exports of unenumerated seed-oil from Holland were 18,787,000 kilo. in 1879. Dantzig exported 11,350 tons of oil-seeds, value 124,8501., in 1879, chiefly to Holland and France. Russia exported 916,172 chetverts (of 5f bush.) of seed-oil in 1878. Venice exported 16,801 tons, value 765,1941., of oil, and 3944 tons, value 79,114/., of oil seeds, in 1879.
In addition to the oils already specified in the preceding pages, the following plants are recorded as being capable of affording oil, the oleaginous part being the seed, unless otherwise specified :— Acrocomia sclerocarpa, all over S. America.
Adenanthera pavonina, S. India, Bengal, and Burmab.
Allium sp. div., India ; clear, pale, limpid, with strong garlic odour ; used medicinally. Amoora Rohituha, India and Ceylon ; oil has many economio uses in Bengal.
Anda Gomesii, Brazil ; medicinal.
Apeda Tibourbou, Brazil, Venezuela, &c.
Arctium Lappa, the burdock, growing wild over Europe and Asia, gives 20 per oent. of oil.
Aspidium Filix mas (male-fern) ; obtained by treating the ether-extract of the tubers with water containing ammonia, and evaporating ; thick, grass-green, liquid much below 0° (32° F.), used medicinally. (See Drugs, p. 811).
Astrocaryum acaule, Brazil.
Atropa Belladonna (see Drugs—Belladonna, p. 794) ; oil extracted in Wurtemburg, used for lighting and food ; limpid, inodorous, sp. gr. 0.925 at 5° (41° F.), thickens at —16° (4° F.), and solidifies at -2710 (-19° F.).
Attalea Cuhune, Honduras and Guiana, from the fruits, " Cohune-nuts." Ballota nigra (black stinking horehound), proposed for cultivation In Savoy.
Bauhinia candida, India.
Bombax sp. die., India generally.
Bryonia callosa, India ; extracted by boiling in water ; a lamp-oil.
Carduus pycnocephalus, S. Europe and Rdunion.
Celastrus sp. div., India, Brazil, &c. ; deep-scarlet oils, used for burning in lamps, and medicinally.
Cerbera sp. div., E. and W. Indies, and S. Amerioa ; C. Manghas [Odollam], oil used by Burmese and in India for lamps and anointing ; C. Thevetia, " exile oil," naturalized in India.
Chironia scabrid a, E. Indies.
Chrysobalanus Icaco, the icaco of Tropical America, and ouaraye of Senegal.
Cochlospermum Gossypium, India.
Cnnnarus sp. div„ Iodia and Tropical S. America ; sweet oil.
Cornus mascula (cornelian cherry), Europe and N. Asia.
Couepia dulcis, French Guiana.
Coula edulis, abundant on the Gaboon, is said to afford 53 per cent. of edible oil from its fruits. Cynometra sp. div., India ; wholly medicinal.
Cyperus esculentus ; expressed from the tubers; yellow, mild, inodorous, sp. gr. solidifies at 0° (32° F.), and saponifies readily.
Daphne Mexereum ; by expressing the fruits ; yellowish, drying oil, sp. gr. at 15° (59° F.), liquid at —16° (4°F.) ; contains 90 per cent. linoleine and oleine, and 10 per cent. stearine, palmitine and myristine.
Eriodendron anfractuosum, India, Cuba, &c.; clear, dark-brown.
Euphorbia Lathyris, France, Germany, and Switzerland, on the edges of fields and cultivated spots ; 40 per cent. of a fluid oil, formerly used in medicine. E. dracunculoides, in India (jy-chee); 25 per cent. of the mature, husked seed ; a drying oil equal to linseed-oil, but more fluid, does not become ropy with age, and emits warmly any smoke while burning.
Feronia elephantunz, India, Java, &c.
Fevillea sp. div., Brazil, Venezuela, and Tropical America generally ; F. cordifolia, the sequa, affords a large quantity of semi-solid oil by pressing and boiling ; the abilla-seeds of an allied Peruvian species oontain so much oil that they are burnt as candles, and withstand considerable wind.
Heritiera sp. div., coasts of India, Africa, E. Arohipelago, and cultivated in W. Indies.
Hesperis matronalis (dames' violet), Europe ; greenish to brownish, sp. gr. odourless, dries readily, quite liquid at —15° (5° F.).