The Portland daily press., 1879-03-18
Homemade Cologne.


The only perfume which never seems to of.
behind it, is that of cologne-water, which stim-
ulates while it soothes the senses and suggests
pleasant whole someness instead Of any sick
lsh sweetness, as the best of the extracts and
essences and bouquets are apt to do. We do
not mean, OF course, the cheap and common
cologne.water of the druggist which is usually
very much worse than none at ell, and wont to
leave, after drying, the smell of burned sugar
where it has been used often, as it Is made of
the poorest spirit and necessarily without SUBJ
sequent distilantio, without regard to the fact
that it requires the strongest proof or rectified
spirit to dissolve the combined oils properly
where the process of dstillation is not used.
Indeed, with no trouble at all any one can make
in her own storC-room a better article Of col
ogue than that which is usually bought, by
thoroughly dissolving fluid dram of the oils
OF bsrgamot, orange and rosemary, each with
half Gram of neroli, and pint of rectifed
spirit. As good as can be made out of Col
ogne itself, however, is also quite as comforta-
ably prepared at home as at the chemist's-at
so much less than the chemists prices that one
feels warranted In using 1t freely-simply by
mixing with one pint of rectified spirit two
fluid drains each of the oils of bergamont and
lemon, one of the oil of orange, and half as
much OF that OF rosemary, together with three
quarters of a dram of neroh and four drops
each of the essences of smbergris and musk.
Ii this is subsequently distilled it makes what
may be called perfect cologne, but it becomes
exceedingly fine by being kept tightly stop
Dered for two or three months to rpeu and
mellow before use.
The best of all cologne, it has been generally
conceded, is that which legitimately bears the
seal of Jean Maria Fsrina We will awe our
readers, in case any of them should be curious
about trifiing in such matters, the formula of
this famous preparation, which is said BY COM
petent authority to be absolutely genuine, and
whose trial has resalted in very delicious pro-
duct, not apprecisbly different to the senses
from that made in the ancient city whence it
derives its name. 1t calls for rather large
quantity, the reader will see, but all the
amounts can of course be divided and porpor-
toned. Digest for three DAYS, in five gallons
of rectifed spirit, having first bruised them
well, 10 grains Of angelica root, Is grains of CAM
phor 20 grains each of csssis-wood, cloves.
mace, nutmegs, and wormwood-tops, half
dram, Troy weight, Of sage, thyme, aud Gala
mus aromaticus, dram of orange flowers, and
a dram and half of lavender flowers, three
drains of rose petals aod OF violets, one ounce
each of balm. mint and of sDearmint two orsn-
ees, and the same number Of lemons. After
these substances have stood together they are
to be distilled at about the end Of the third day.
taking off only two-thirds of the quantity of
spirits; to this then is added one fluid ounce
each Of the oils Of jasmine and beresmot one
dram each of the oils of balm mint, cedrat,
lavender and lemon, and 20 drops each of
neroli and of essence of antbos seed 10 Is all
then to be completely stirred together and agi-
tsted, and if not perfectly clear the next day, il
Is to be filtered, and then the maker Will have
as fine cologne as there Is in 'he world.