The East Indian Sandalwood Oil

The sandalwood tree is the native of East Indian Archipelago, and of India. Since its origin had been recorded as being from the former land, it is known in trade as the East Indian sandalwood. The same name is retained here for the sake of convenience. These are the only two sources for the true sandal, which is botanically known as Santalum album Linn. All other varieties and types do not count, although they may find application in arts and in therapy. The sandal owes its importance to the scented heartwood and the fragrant oil derived from it used in perfumery at present. The wood was purchased in auctions held in Mysore in the earlier days and exported to Europe for being distilled. Later on, the State itself established a distillation plant for securing the oil for export purposes. Since the last 50 years and odd, it had been a Foreign Exchange earner. In the Madras State also, the oil is now distilled by private companies and in the north of India, the oil is distilled from wood purchased in auctions held in the sandal centres of Madras. East Indies had not maintained a regular supply and of late, its output is quite low. Hence, the Indian produce alone dominates the world market. Australia had marketed an oil, after the first World War. It was claimed to have equal characteristics as the sandalwood oil, but it is not sandalwood oil. Other sources for essential oils, which have figured as substitutes to sandal oil are not important. The cost of the wood and the oil had risen quite high of late, with the result that substitutes had been produced. This is mostly through adulteration of the true oil with similar oils or with other undesirable ones. Recently, the production of a purely organic product, known in trade as SANDELA GD (R) has posed a threat to this oil, purely because of its cheapness. A. regards its odour, it is not that of sandal oil. This threat has to be met by increased production of sandalwood whose cultivation is seriously threatened by SPIKE disease, killing sandal of any age and size in a few months, if not in a few weeks. This aspect had been critically studied by the Thacker Committee set up in 1966 by the Indian Government. Unless the spread of disease is systematically checked and the cultivation of sandal ensured on a permanent basis, the future will be more bleak indeed. Considering that an export value of over 1 crore of Rupees per year is involved, an expenditure of at least 5 per cent a year on the control of the disease, in the manner already accomplished and reported, is a productive expenditure only. With more oil produced and posterity ensured for supplies, the price of the oil will be more steady.