The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1874-09-10
PerfuneFy. ts
[From Harper's for September

:, There is q paper on tsThe Art of Per.
fumery" from which we take the fol-
lowing: 'af .'4'ie '.5 n
eThe invention Of this process (4is-
tillation) is ascribed to Avicenna, an
Arabian doctor, who flourished IN the
tenth century. Previous to his time
resins, spices and oils or ointmeDts,
scented by contact with fragrant SUBJ
stances, were the chief, if rot the only,
forms Of perfume known. To him it is
said belongs the honor of first separa-
ting the aronas of plants and flowers
in such manner that they could be
readily applied whore greasy unguents
and smoking incense were alike una
| vailable. 4. a...,s,,.
TO the invention cf Avicenna we are
indebted for the most durable elements
Of modern perfumery; but. our most
fragrant and delicate odors. are pro-
fdliced by another process ofmucht later
discovery, which we will attempt to de-
scribe in the paragraphs that follow.
THE odors of all vegetable matters
reside in. principal or constituent
known as essential OIL. or more proper
", otto. Each individual plant or
flower contains agreater or less amount
Of this principle, the separation Of
which from the parent substance is the
initial movement in all the most inn
portant Of the perfumer's operations.
As it exists in but small proportion, we
have in it, when isolated, q remarks bic
concentration of odor, end it's stability,
when so separated, is SO great that
many varieties can be kept for years
unchanged. In the otto we not only
possess the fragrance of TIE flower long
after the season for blooming is past,
but by it's use can impart a favorite
odor to thousand bodies scentless in
themselves. ~
"Ottos are ell in the liquid form; are
of an oily appearance, vary in color
from light straw to dark red or brown,
and possess, as before stated, the odor
of the substances from which they are
derived. The yield of this principle
from various materials, ranges from six
per cent. or more down to very minute
quantities. Nutmegs, for instance, are
very rich in otto; lemon rinds contain
it in such abundance that it can be
proftably extracted by expression;
while roses yield so little that but three
teaspoonfuls are obtained from q hum
dred pounds Of the petals.
''The we'll known process Of distilla-
ton is the method most frequently
employed to procure these ottos. This
process, as almost everyone knows,
consists essentially in vaporizing q
liquid in closed vessel, and conducting
the vapor to a receiver, in which it is
condensed by the application of cold
water. When a given plant or flower
is placed in the Still with proper pro-
portion of water, and heat applied, its
otto, being volatile, rises with the
steam, and both being condensed to-
gether, they readily separate on cool
ing. When applied to this purpose,
the process is often conducted by pass
ing steam through the material to be
exhausted, instead Of boiling it in the
usual way. ~ e ce nf
1.-THE heat employed in distillation is
necessarily injurious to the product,
and to preserve the exquisite freshness
and delicacy of the odors Of the flowers
another way Of producing is necessary,
namely, n,dcerdtion or enfeurdge. l
"Fatty bodies have strong affinity
for all ottos, and at the same time ex-
ert little or no solvent power on the
other matters with which they are as
scented. Flowers, aromatics or bal
sans infused in oil. impart to it their
characteristic odors, and if this infts.
ion be repeated sufficient number of
times, q highly-scented preparation is
obtained, which exhibits naturalness
of fragrance not attainable by distilla-
ton. The operation Of SO impregnat-
ing grease with odors is conducted as
follows: fFs4Ef@ teF ss8 .ssG 4%l
1.-THE flowers, separated from leaves
or other extraneous matter, are placed
in suitable vessel and covered with
oil or liquiied suet of lard. "A gentle
heat is then applied for . period rang.
ing from twelve to forty-eight hours, st
the end Of which the fat is strained
from them. and fagain digested with
fresh ones, which operation is repeated
four or five times. or until sufficient
perfume is imported to the grease.
This method Of extraction is called
maceration, or, more properly, diges-
ton, it being . warm process.
"When the aroma is very delicate, it
! is necessary to avoid heat entirely, and
. variation Of the foregoing method IS
employed, which is known IS enfeN-
rage. In this way Of work
ing, the fatty matter, when
Of solid body, is spread
in thin layers on trays or frames, and
its surface covered with flowers, cup
downward, which, after being allowed
to remain there for from twelve to sew
enty.two hours, are removed, and their
place supplied by fresh ones, which are
again renewed, % in maceration, until
sufficient odor is impaired to the grease.
When oil is used, some coarse cloths
saturated take the place of the lard or
suet. These are precisely as before, and
the oil recovered from them by power
full pressure. ace 10 .
.The greases used in the foregoing
processes must, Of course, be Is free
from odor IS possible. Bcnne and olive
/ oils, when fresh, need no preparation,
but lard and suet require thorough and
| - ~o~& 4 Ne