The Art of Perfumery, and Methods of Obtaining the Odors of Plants: With Instructions for the Manufacture of Perfumes for the Handkerchief, Scented Powders, Odorous Vinegars, Dentifrices, Pomatums, Cosmetics, Perfumed Soap, Etc., to which is Added an Appendix on Preparing Artificial Fruit-Essences, Etc.Piesse, G. W. Septimus (George William Septimus)
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The Art of Perfumery, and Methods of Obtaining the Odors of Plants: With Instructions for the Manufacture of Perfumes for the Handkerchief, Scented Powders, Odorous Vinegars, Dentifrices, Pomatums, Cosmetics, Perfumed Soap, Etc., to which is Added an Appendix on Preparing Artificial Fruit-Essences, Etc.
Piesse, G. W. Septimus (George William Septimus)
Cosmetics; Perfumes
ELDER (_Sambucus nigra_).--The only preparation of this plant
for its odorous quality used by the perfumer, is elder-flower water. To
prepare it, take nine pounds of elder-flowers, free from stalk, and
introduce it to the still with four gallons of water; the first three
gallons that come over is all that need be preserved for use; one ounce
of rectified spirit should be added to each gallon of "water" distilled,
and when bottled it is ready for sale. Other preparations of elder
flowers are made, such as milk of elder, extract of elder, &c., which
will be found in their proper place under Cosmetics. Two or three new
materials made from this flower will also be given hereafter, which are
likely to meet with a very large sale on account of the reputed cooling
qualities of the ingredients; of these we would call attention more
particularly to cold cream of elder-flowers, and to elder oil for the
hair.
The preparations of elder-flowers, if made according to the
Pharmacopoeias, are perfectly useless, as the forms therein given show
an utter want of knowledge of the properties of the materials employed.
FENNEL (_Foeniculum vulgare_).--Dried fennel herb, when
ground, enters into the composition of some sachet powders. The oil of
fennel, in conjunction with other aromatic oils, may be used for
perfuming soap. It is procurable by distillation.
FLAG (SWEET) (_Acorus calamus_).--The roots, or
rhizome, of the sweet flag, yield by distillation a pleasant-smelling
oil; 1 cwt. of the rhizome will thus yield one pound of oil. It can be
used according to the pleasure of the manufacturer in scenting grease,
soap, or for extracts, but requires other sweet oils with it to hide its
origin.
GERANIUM (_Pelargonium odoratissimum_, rose-leaf
geranium).--The leaves of this plant yield by distillation a very
agreeable rosy-smelling oil, so much resembling real otto of rose, that
it is used very extensively for the adulteration of that valuable oil,
and is grown very largely for that express purpose. It is principally
cultivated in the south of France, and in Turkey (by the rose-growers).
In the department of Seine-et-Oise, at Montfort-Lamaury, in France,
hundreds of acres of it may be seen growing. 1 cwt. of leaves will yield
about two ounces of essential oil. Used to adulterate otto of rose, it
is in its turn itself adulterated with ginger grass oil (_Andropogon_),
and thus formerly was very difficult to procure genuine; on account of
the increased cultivation of the plant, it is now, however, easily
procured pure. Some samples are greenish-colored, others nearly white,
but we prefer that of a brownish tint.
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