Birmingham age-herald., 1895-08-04
DANES BEAUTY TALKS.
PERFUMERY THE THEME THIS TIME.
Recipes for Preparing and DstiIling the Sweet Savors-Answers to the Queries of sss2 Correspondents.
BY DIANE DE MoRNY.

DIANE DE MoRNY.
 Copyrighted, 1895. by Diane de Morny.)
 In this progressive and aggressive age 1t is a singular fact that the art of the perfumer has not fundamentally changed, and it is greatly to be doubted that our oils and pomddeS today eXcei the precious ointments of Arapy' the blest hundreds of years back. We stlli are obliged to catch the odor of flower in fat and to distill our choicest per fumes from these heavily flower lmpreg- mated "pomades, they are termed Their Royal and Religious Use.
 These are the oils which were called ..precious'' in the days of Moses, ana the science of their composition was taught by the high priests to the Egyptian sciioi- ars. Indeed the Bible and It's commen- ta1ies contain numerous rules Tor the making of perfumes, and an essential 10 every form of purification was the burn ing of a prescribed quantity Of precious oils and incense.
 At one time the Roman church made so great a use of perfumes in it's va rious ceremonials that she had large tracts of land in Syria and other oriental provinces expressly for the cultivation of flowers for oils
 trayagances in these days of "degringo- lade.,' but here is always precedent in history What should we think today of a king who would expend the year product of an entire country, celebrated for it's luxurious flower growth, Tn plos- soms for the funeral of his wife? Nero did this at the death of his wife, Poppae
 AsI have said the only way to perma- nently hold flower odor IS to impflsoh it in fat Once caught in oil suet. you may keep it captive until you choose 10 release it through distillation and ex- pansion. Extracts will evaporate, and are not reliable.
 Why They are Costly.
 If you will study any of the lists or odors advertised by the great pertaining houses of France you will find an "em- barras de richesse" indeed in the fifty or sixty extracts or essences offered you Every flower is represented, and dozens of proper and invented names are aooeo to swell the number of delicate perfumes from which the purchaser may select.
 If is A well-known fact however, that there are only six or eight flowers which yield oils and that the perfumer must make combinations from these 10 mi tate the odor of all other flowers rms may be properly called the artistic side of perfumery. The French perfumer eX- eels in this delicate part of the science studying simlarities and atlinities and shades as the artist does the colors of the skies or the blending of his materials Tn painting the blush of the rose. If you are going to endeavor only to distill your own perfumes l would rec ommend that you purchase your pomade or essential oil from first-class import ing house. The essential oils or pomades are very costly but you will bear in mind that an ounce of pomade of first quality will make at least sixteen ounces of very strong extract. The method IS simple enough {, Suppose you purchase, for ex- ample one ounce of oil of rose. Take one ounce of pure alcohol above proof mix the oil of rose with it in clean bot tle. Place the bottle in vessel Of hot water until the contents acquire tenn perature of about S5 degrees Farenhet. Then cork the bottle quite close; shake if briskly until the liquid is cold. You will have most delicious and very strong odor as result, which will inn nrove with age just as good wine does. few drops of this perfume will be all YOU can with good taste use at time.
 If you wish. however, to make a po- made from the natural flower you cer- fainly can succeed, but it requires a good deal of skill, infinite. patience and some utensils, and inasmuch as pomades are the despair of many educated per funers I do not recommend theif man ufacture to the amateur, although give a formula.
 Forn,ula for Making the Essential Oil from
 the Flower.
 Van will have to purchase from deal- or in perfllmers' suppliesa a series or Shal- low iron frames, adapted for pilng on each other and fttinS close together, d piece of white spongy cotton cloth Is stretched upon each, and is then freely moistened with oil of almonds, olives or ben. On the cloth is next laid thin layer of the fresh plucked flowers, and each frame, thus covered, is placed on thespreceding one, until compact pile of them is raised. In twenty-four to thirty hours the flowers are replaced by fresh ones. and this is repeated every day. or every other day, until seven or eight different lots of flowers have been consumed, or the oil has been sufficiently charged with their odor. The cotton cloths are then carefully collected and submitted to powerful pressure. and the .'expressed oil' which flows from them is placed aside in corked bottles or jars to settle. After some time it becomes perfectly cisar, and it is then ready to be decanted into other bottles and kept for dstilling.
 The best flowers for the above purpose in America are violet, honeysuckle, tube rose jonquil, jasmine. narcissus. orange and myrtle blossoms
 An exquisite essence of rose may be made as follows:
 Extra Essence of Roses.
 Take of petals of roses fresh) three pounds avordupois, and rectified spirits (90 per cent five imperial quarts; digest the petals (picked to pieces) in the spirit