The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-09-22
THE PERFuMER'S ART.
Two Processes by which odors Are Ex-
tracied from FIowers-t Justification.

lDere are TWO chlet processes oy winch
oAlors are extracted and retained. One
is by distillation, or what is called ma.
ceration--the essential oil or otto in Which
the perfume resides being extracted by
vaporizing from the flowers, leaves and
roots, or other portions Of the plant con-
tanning it. The other, and by far morn
delicate and interesting, is by absorption
or enfleurage. THIS Is resorted 70 ia the
case Of all the more delicate flowers
such as the rose, jasmine, tuberose and
cassia, where the essence is 50 fine that
it has by practice been found to be in.
jured by heat. The principle Of odor
absorption from flowers is based simply
on tie established law Of affinity which
hydro-carbons-that is, beef and mutton
fats-have for perfumes. When these
have been highly purified they catch
and in catching concentrate and inten-
sify, the odors communicated TO them.
The modus operandi is Of the simplest
and is not at all times Of the cleanest
The visitor to the perfume factory would
see multitudes OF wooden frames HAVING
rims about three inches in dep,b. in
which are set several sheets of glass
These frames are lifted % a bench and
all the glasses are spread over with LAYERS
of pure fat, somewhat less than Quarter
of an inch thick, and over tins fat are
carefully shed the leaves Of whatever
flowers may be plentiful 40 the season.
fresh and full Of odor, After the flower
leaves are spread ont. the glasses are re-
placed in the frame. one ON ton Of the
other, till each frame looks Ike solid
box Of fat. Next the frames are Slid
into boxes made toreceiye them some
thing like our strawberry boxes. and
these are then closely shut I'm a very
short time the fat viii have caught an
the odor, and having caught 10 will hold
it, too, so that it can be conveyed uuin.
iured hundreds Of miles
The next question IS TO free the inn
prisoned spirit The fat is emit up into
small square portions and put into al
cohol. The delicate essence at once parts
from its coarser companion, and uniting
ing itself TO the alcohol is 90 for the
market.
Another method, bat not so commonly
followed, Is To spread the flowers upon
cloths saturated with oils, which. when
the absorption is supposed tohaye ended.
are placed in press and theimpreenated
oil squeezed out.
In the preparation Of scents the am
clients. as ia so many many other things.
anticipated in principle at least She most
recent methodsappr0yod of science. The
absorbing substance with them uas ben
OIL obtained from tle Mo,uga. % tree
growing ia Egypt, India AMI Cey.on. lr
bears pod containing several peculiar
shaped. three cogucred seeds, trom which
q pure and scaHllo-s or I5 obtained Cot-
ton was soaked in the oii and placed in
layers between the flowers and then
pressed down m water bath for ABOUT
twcntv.four hours.
Evidently. too the method has not
varied much In different periods, tor Cul-
pepper in his English Physician, pub
lished in 1868. gives the following recipe
for the process.
Having brui2ed the herbs or flowers
YOU would make your Oyl of, put them
in an earthen pot, and 10 two or three
handfuls of them pour a pint Of Oyl,
cover the pot with paper and set itn
the sun, about q fortnight or less. ac-
cording as the sun ism holiness then, bay
ing warmed 1t very wei by the fire, press
out the herbs etc, very hard in press,
and add as many more herbs 10 the same
owl bruize uhe herbs, / mean, not the
OvD In ike manner set them I'M the sun
as before, the oftener You repeat this the
stronger will your Oyl bo; at Last whoa
YOU conceive it strong enough boyl both
herbs and Oyl together till the juice be-
consumed, which you may know by It's
leaving bubbling, and the herbs will BE-
crisp. then strain it while it Is hot, and
keep it in a stone vessel for your use.
The number of SO called perfumes Is
without end and is largely matter of
fashion. Still, various standing divisions
Of odors have been made, the most eiab-
crate of them all being that Ct Rimmei.
His classification comprises only the
pleasant odors. and is based on O princi-
pie that just rs there are primary colors
from which all secondary shades are pro-
duced, so there are primary odor5 with
types, all other aroma being more or less
closely connected with them. OF these
types he finds eighteen gIoups.-san
Francisco Chronicle.