The Art of Perfumery, and Methods of Obtaining the Odors of Plants

DETECTION OF SPIKE OIL AND TURPENTINE IN LAVENDER OIL BY DR. J. GASTELL. There are two kinds of lavender oil known in commerce; one, which is very dear, and is obtained from the flowers of the Lavandula vera; the other is much cheaper, and is prepared from the flowers of the Lavandula spica. The latter is generally termed oil of spike. In the south of France, whether the oil be distilled from the flowers of the Lavandula vera or Lavandula spica, it is named oil of lavender. By the distillation of the whole plant or only the stalk and the leaves, a small quantity of oil is obtained, which is rich in camphor, and is there called oil of spike. Pure oil of lavender should have a specific gravity from .876 to .880, and be completely soluble in five parts of alcohol of a specific gravity of .894. A greater specific gravity shows that it is mixed with oil of spike; and a less solubility, that it contains oil of turpentine.