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. — John Shaqi
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)
History
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
RHODIUM.--When rose-wood, the lignum of the _Convolvulus
scoparius_, is distilled, a sweet-smelling oil is procured, resembling
in some slight degree the fragrance of the rose, and hence its name. At
one time, that is, prior to the cultivation of the rose-leaf geranium,
the distillates from rose-wood and from the root of the _Genista
canariensis_ (Canary-rose-wood), were principally drawn for the
adulteration of real otto of roses, but as the geranium oil answers so
much better, the oil of rhodium has fallen into disuse, hence its
comparative scarcity in the market at the present day, though our
grandfathers knew it well. One cwt. of wood yields about three ounces of
oil.
Ground rose-wood is valuable as a basis in the manufacture of sachet
powders for perfuming the wardrobe.
The French have given the name jacaranda to rose-wood, under the idea
that the plant called jacaranda by the Brazilians yields it, which is
not the case; "the same word has perhaps been the origin of
palisander--palixander, badly written."--_Burnett_.
ROSE.--
"Go, crop the gay rose's vermeil bloom,
And waft its spoils, a sweet perfume,
In incense to the skies."
OGILVIE.
This queen of the garden loses not its diadem in the perfuming world.
The oil of roses, or, as it is commonly called, the otto, or attar, of
roses, is procured (contrary to so many opposite statements) simply by
distilling the roses with water.
The otto, or attar, of rose of commerce is derived from the _Rosa
centifolia provincialis_. Very extensive rose farms exist at Adrianople
(Turkey in Europe); at Broussa, now famous as the residence of
Abd-el-Kader; and at Uslak (Turkey in Asia); also at Ghazepore, in
India.
The cultivators in Turkey are principally the Christian inhabitants of
the low countries of the Balkan, between Selimno, and Carloya, as far as
Philippopolis, in Bulgaria, about 200 miles from Constantinople. In good
seasons, this district yields 75,000 ounces; but in bad seasons only
20,000 to 30,000 ounces of attar are obtained. It is estimated that it
requires at least 2000 rose blooms to yield one drachm of otto.
The otto slightly varies in odor from different districts; many places
furnish an otto which solidifies more readily than others, and,
therefore, this is not a sure guide of purity, though many consider it
such. That which was exhibited in the Crystal Palace of 1851, as "from
Ghazepore," in India, obtained the prize.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account