Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1859-05-19
Making Perfume.

is a rough notion of machines like miniature
wne-presses where the flowers are squeezed,
and bruised, and manged, and made to give
up their perfumes in a rude maSterful manner
though it is rather puzzling to think how mig
nonette, or sweet pea, or any other flower which
loses its odor when crushed or dead, could be
treated thus to any advantage
There are, it appears, four mooes of obtain
ing the perfume of plants and flowers. The
first is by expreSson-a mode only adopted
when the plant is very prolific in its volatile or
essential oil that is in its odor. The outer
rind or pelcle of the lemon, orange, citron, and
q few others Of the same class, is chiefly sub
jected to this process. The parts to be ex-
pressed are put into cloth bag and placed
under screw press sometimes laid, without
any bag at all, on the perforated plate through
which the oil is to run. When all the oil is
expressed, it is left standing in quiet place
for some time, to allow it to separate itself
from the water that came with it, 1t is then
poured off and strained. The second method
is by distillation-a method used for lavender,
cloves, seeds, herbs, but not for the rarer flow
erS, the odors Of which ore lost by heat +; only
to be gained indeed by loving contact and care
full influence. The only notable fact in this
apply fire directly to the still in England they
dstl by steam. Excepting for this difference
this mode of chemical manipulation is too we'll
known to need description here. The fire ap-
piled directly to the still sometimes gives a
burnt odor to thu distlate, which is not en-
tirely disgareeable in some combinations
Maceraton is the third process Purified
beef or deer suet is placed with purified lard
in clean metal or porcelain pan or steam bath
When melted, the flowers required to be used
are thrown in and left to remain from twelve
to forty-eight hours the liquid fat is then
strained, and fresh flowers added This is re-
peated as often as is necessary and the po-
matum obtained therefrom is known as six,
twelve, eighteen or twentyfour, according to
the strenth of the odor For perfumed oil the
same process is gone through fine olive oil
being substituted for lard and suet Orange.
rose and CASSIE are prepared thus; violet and
reseda are begun thus, and finished by enfeur-
age.
| This is the daintest method of ALL Enheur-
age or absorption, is very little practised in
England, though uniformly used in France for
all the finest odors. Square frames with glass
bottoms are spread with layer of fat about
quarter of an inch thick, and then sprnkled
abundantly with flowers They are suffered to
remain forty-eight hours, when fresh supply
of spent and exhausted blossom is given; which
process is repeated over and over again until
the pomatum is sufficiently powerfully scented.
! For perfumed oil, coarse cotton cloths are sat-
urated with fine olive oil, and laid on frames
of wire gauze. These are treated in the same
manner as above and, when thoroughly per-
fumed, are placed under a screw press aud the
oil wrung from them-rich flowery oil, such as
Juno or Venus might have used, and been
proud Of too.
Odors are extracted from various parts of
plants or flowers different in different kinds
The roots of orris and vitiverti; the stem or
wood of CEDAR santal or rosewood the leaves
of mint, thyme, and patchouli the flowers Of
roses, violets, and other flowers the seeds Of
the Tonqun bean, and carraway, the bark OF
the cinnamon +; many gums and resns-ben-
zion, obanum, &c; these are few instances
Of the various cdoriferous parts of the differ
ent plants. Some indeed are more varied in
their odoriferous elements. For instance, the
orange tree gives three distinct scents, and
mos. flowers give two, according TO their man.
ner of preparation. From the leaves of the
orange tree, comes petit grain from the fow-
ers neroli from the rind, the essential oil
known as Portugal. Again the orange flow
er of neroli, macerated in pomade is known as
orange flower pomatum. This, chopped up
fine and put in rectifed spirit makes extract
de fuer d'orange, which is one of the most
valuable bases to the perfumer-passing with
slight notifications, for sweet pea, magnolia,
and scents of that class. Orange flowers dis
titled with water give the otto known as oil of
Nha n 10 OI0
is extracted from the leaves and young unripe
fruit of various species of citrons, and is used
for scentng soaps The neroi petale and b.
garade help to form Hungary-water and eau de
Cologne The water which was used in dis
tilIing the oil of neroli, when freed from oil, is
eau de fuer d'orange, cheap and fragrant
cosmetic of three qualities. The first is made
from the distilled flowers the second, of the
water used in distiling the oil of nero and
the third from the leaves, flowers, and unripe
fruit of every kind OF orange trees. They are
easily tested the first turning rose color un-
der few drops of sulphuric acid the second
turning rose color, too, when quite fresh but
after a short time this chemical result and the
aroma both disappear the third does not
change its color at all under sulphuric acid,
and smells more of lemon than of orange.
Who does not know the magic virtues at.
tributed to almond-paste But the largest
amount of the almond perfume of commerce
comes from distilled laurel leaves and the ker-
mel of stone-fruit also, from the skin Of bitter
almonds The essential oil of almonds is got
from the nut itself first pressed into cake,
then moistened with salt and water from the
fermentation of this is produced the amygdalin
and emulsine contained in the almonds. Laurel
leaves and other analogous substances give the
T same results under the like treatment. Four
teen pounds of almond-cake yield one ounce Of
essential oil, which must then be diluted
with spirit to become pleasant, the contracted
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