Take marine marsh-mallow roots, cut them into lengths of 5 or 6
inches, and of the thickness of a middling rattan cane. Dry them in
the shade, but not so as to make them shrivel.
Next finely pulverize two ounces of good dragon’s blood, put it into
a flat-bottomed glazed pan, with four ounces of highly rectified
spirit, and half an ounce of fresh conserve of roses. Set it over
a gentle charcoal fire, and stir it until the dragon’s blood is
dissolved; then put in about thirty of the marsh-mallow sticks; stir
them about, and carefully turn them, that all parts may absorb the
dye alike. Continue this until the bottom of the pan be quite dry,
and shake and stir it over the fire, until the sticks are perfectly
dry and hard.
Both ends of each root or stick should, previous to immersion in the
pan, be bruised gently by a hammer, for half an inch downwards, so as
to open its fibres, and thereby form a brush.
They are generally used by dipping one of the ends in the powder
or opiate, and then, by rubbing them against the teeth, which they
cleanse and whiten admirably.