Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XIII.djvu/299

 PERFUME 289 der ; Nice for the violet and mignonette ; and Sicily for the lemon, bergamot, and orange. In England some of the essential oils are pre- pared from native herbs on a large scale, as at Mitch am in Surrey, where a ton of pepper- mint and of lavender is sometimes distilled at once. In the northern United States many of the essences and essential oils are also large- ly prepared, the woods furnishing the winter- green, sassafras, and other sweet-scented plants, and the gardens the peppermint, rose, &c. Perfumes are derived from a great variety of flowers, fruits, seeds, woods, and other vege- table products ; and by the skilful combining of different scents, some are obtained that imi- tate the odor of flowers which are not them- selves used in perfumery. But it is not from plants alone that perfumes are obtained. The delicate scent of flowers has been traced to certain oils and ethers, which can be elabora- ted from substances associated only with the most disgusting odors. The fetid fusel oil by different methods of treatment produces oils not to be distinguished from those of various fruits ; the noisome oils of gas tar are made to yield the nitro-benzole, known as the oil of bitter almonds or essence of mirbane, which is now extensively used for perfuming soap, and is even preferable for confectionery and culinary uses to the genuine article (unless this is distilled over potash), as it contains no prus- sic acid ; and from the drainage of cow houses is extracted an essential ingredient in the fa- mous eau de mille fleurs. The perfumes de- rived from animal sources are musk, civet, ambergris, hartshorn, &c. Ambergris, though having little scent itself, imparts a most ethe- real and delicate odor to other perfumes. In an elaborate paper upon perfumery furnished by Mr. Eugene Rimmel to the society of arts of London, and published in No. 391 of their "Journal," scents in general use are classified in 18 groups, and the vegetable products used in this art are arranged in 10 divisions, as fol- lows : 1, the floral sertes, viz., jasmine, rose, orange flower, cassia, tuberose, violet, jonquil, and narcissus ; the attar or otto of roses (see ATTAR OF ROSES) is the most valuable product of this division ; 2, the herbal series, compri- sing all aromatic plants, such as lavender, spike, peppermint, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, ge- ranium, patchouli (see PATCHOULI), and win- ter-green, which yield essential oils by distilla- tion ; 3, the andropogon series, a genus of plants of this name in Ceylon, which furnish the lemon grass, citronella, and ginger grass oil ; 4, the citrine series, comprising the bergamot, orange, lemon, cedrat, and limette, from whose rinds an essential oil is obtained by expression or distillation; 5, the spice series, including cinnamon, cinnamon leaf, cloves, mace, nut- meg, and pimento ; 6, the wood series, consist- ing of sandalwood, rosewood, rhodium, ce- dar, and sassafras ; 7, the root series, compri- sing orris root and vetiver, of which the lat- ter, called by the Hindoos Icm-kns, the root of I into mats and blinds, which being often water- j ed and exposed to the sun shed a most agree- j able and lasting perfume; 8, the seed series, balm and gum series, including balsam of Pe- ru, balsam of Tolu, camphor, myrrh, benzoin, styrax, and other gums; 10, the fruit series, including bitter almonds, Tonquin beans, and vanilla. The artificial preparations, above re- ferred to, and the animal perfumes, make two more series. The greatest number of the ma- terials, amounting to 28, is obtained from the south of France and Italy, which is the chief centre of manufacture for perfumery materials. The East Indies and China furnish about 21, Turkey 2, Africa 2, North America 6, South America 6, and England 4. The only articles named from the United States are peppermint, sassafras, and wintergreen. The manufacture of perfumes in the south of France is exten- sively carried on in the towns of Grasse, Can- nes, and Nice. In Grasse about TO establish- ments are engaged in this business and in dis- tilling essential oil, and in the other two towns about 30 houses more. The principal mate- rials used are orange and jasmine flowers, roses, violets, cassia, and tuberose. The man- ufactured articles consist of scented pomades and oils, rose water, and orange flower water. These do not include the essential oils, some of which are very valuable, the neroli, for instance, being worth about $50 a pound. Several meth- ods are in use for extracting the odoriferous properties of plants, and imparting these to spirits or oily bodies. Some of the processes are noticed in the articles EAU DE COLOGNE, and ESSENTIAL OILS. In the preparation of po- mades the best fat employed is the marrow of the ox; but a cheaper fat is often substituted for it, or a mixture of beef or veal fat and lard. These are beaten in a mortar, melted in a water bath, and then strained. Before the mixture cools the essential oil selected for the perfume is stirred in ; or the flowers them- selves are thrown in and left to digest for several hours, when they are taken out, the fat is again heated and strained under pressure, and fresh ones are put into it ; and this is con- tinued for several days, when it is strained in cloth bags. This process is called maceration. Inodorous oils, such as the oil of behn, de- scribed by Piesse in his work on perfumery, are well adapted for taking up the perfumes of flowers by this process. Pure olive oil is largely used in the south of Europe. But for delicate plants, such as the jasmine, tuberose, and cassia, the odoriferous principle of which would be injured by the heat, the process in use is that of absorption or enfleurage. Square wooden boxes are provided having bottoms of glass plate. Upon these is spread a layer of puri- j fied lard and suet mixture, and upon this ing, as long as the flower is in bloom. The I boxes are kept shut, and the grease finally ac-
 * the anatherum muricatum, is made in India
 * composed of aniseed, dill, and caraway ; 9, the
 * freshly gathered flowers are spread every morn-