The oil distilled from wild sage was briefly reported by the writer in
1905[29] and 1906.[30] The promising preliminary results encouraged a
further investigation of this plant. During the summers of 1907 and
1908 larger quantities of this interesting wild plant were distilled
in South Dakota, a yield of 0.26 per cent of a very fragrant essential
oil being obtained from plants which had passed their flowering stage.
When the plant is distilled during its flowering stage the yield of oil
is about 0.41 per cent.
The oil obtained by the distillation of the whole plant was beautiful
pale green in color, with an agreeable fatty and camphoraceous odor and
a slightly bitter camphorlike taste. The specific gravity of the oil
at 24° was 0.940; specific rotation A_{D} = -24.2°; re-fraction N_{D}
24°, 1.4716. The oil was soluble in 1 volume of 80 per cent alcohol,
becoming turbid in 2 volumes or over.
[Illustration: +Fig. 4.+--A field of wild sage near Webster, S. Dak.]