AMMONIA.--Under the various titles of "Smelling Salts,"
"Preston Salts," "Inexhaustible Salts," "Eau de Luce," "Sal Volatile,"
ammonia, mixed with other odoriferous bodies, has been very extensively
consumed as material for gratifying the olfactory nerve.
The perfumer uses liq. amm. fortis, that is, strong liquid ammonia, and
the sesqui-carbonate of ammonia, for preparing the various "salts" that
he sells. These materials he does not attempt to make; in fact, it is
quite out of his province so to do, but he procures them ready for his
hand through some manufacturing chemist. The best preparation for
smelling-bottles is what is termed INEXHAUSTIBLE SALTS, which
is prepared thus:--
Liquid ammonia, 1 pint.
Otto of rosemary, 1 drachm.
" English lavender, 1 "
" bergamot, 1/2 "
" cloves, 1/2 "
Mix the whole together with agitation in a very strong and
well-stoppered bottle.
This mixture is used by filling the smelling-bottles with any porous
absorbent material, such as asbestos, or, what is better, sponge
cuttings, that have been well beaten, washed, and dried. These cuttings
can be procured at a nominal price from any of the sponge-dealers,
being the trimming or roots of the Turkey sponge, which are cut off
before the merchants send it into the retail market. After the bottles
are filled with the sponge, it is thoroughly saturated with the scented
ammonia, but no more is poured in than the sponge will retain, when the
bottles are inverted; as, if by any chance the ammonia runs out and is
spilt over certain colored fabrics, it causes a stain. When such an
accident happens, the person who sold it is invariably blamed.
When the sponge is saturated properly, it will retain the ammoniacal
odor longer than any other material; hence, we presume, bottles filled
in this way are called "inexhaustible," which name, however, they do not
sustain more than two or three months with any credit; the warm hand
soon dissipates the ammonia under any circumstances, and they require to
be refilled.
For transparent colored bottles, instead of sponge, the perfumers use
what they call insoluble crystal salts (sulphate of potass). The bottles
being filled with crystals, are covered either with the liquid ammonia,
scented as above, or with alcoholic ammonia. The necks of the bottles
are filled with a piece of white cotton; otherwise, when inverted, from
the non-absorbent quality of the crystals, the ammonia runs out, and
causes complaints to be made. The crystals are prettier in colored
bottles than the sponge; but in plain bottles the sponge appears quite
as handsome, and, as before observed, it holds the ammonia better than
any other material. Perfumers sell also what is called WHITE
SMELLING SALTS, and PRESTON SALTS. The White Smelling Salt
is the sesqui-carbonate of ammonia in powder, with which is mixed any
perfuming otto that is thought fit,--lavender otto giving, as a general
rule, the most satisfaction.
PRESTON SALTS, which is the cheapest of all the ammoniacal
compounds, is composed of some easily decomposable salt of ammonia and
lime, such as equal parts of muriate of ammonia, or of sesqui-carbonate
of ammonia, and of fresh-slaked lime. When the bottles are filled with
this compound, rammed in very hard, a drop or two of some cheap otto is
poured on the top prior to corking. For this purpose otto of French
lavender, or otto of bergamot, answers very well. We need scarcely
mention that the corks are dipped into melted sealing-wax, or brushed
over with liquid wax, that is, red or black wax dissolved in alcohol, to
which a small portion of ether is added. The only other compound of
ammonia that is sold in the perfumery trade is Eau de Luce, though
properly it belongs to the druggist. When correctly made--which is very
rarely the case--it retains the remarkable odor of oil of amber, which
renders it characteristic.
EAU DE LUCE.
Tincture of benzoin: or, }
" balsam of Peru, } 1 oz.
Otto of lavender, 10 drops.
Oil of amber, 5 "
Liquor ammonia, 2 oz.
If requisite, strain through cotton wool, but it must not be filtered,
as it should have the appearance of a milk-white emulsion.
ACETIC ACID AND ITS USE IN PERFUMERY.--The pungency of the odor
of vinegar naturally brought it into the earliest use in the art of
perfumery.
The acetic acid, evolved by distilling acetate of copper (verdigris), is
the true "aromatic" vinegar of the old alchemists.
The modern aromatic vinegar is the concentrated acetic acid aromatized
with various ottos, camphor, &c., thus--
AROMATIC VINEGAR.
Concentrated acetic acid, 8 oz.
Otto of English lavender, 2 drachms.
" " rosemary, 1 drachm.
" cloves, 1 "
" camphor, 1 oz.
First dissolve the bruised camphor in the acetic acid, then add the
perfumes; after remaining together for a few days, with occasional
agitation, it is to be strained, and is then ready for use.
Several forms for the preparation of this substance have been published,
almost all of which, however, appear to complicate and mystify a process
that is all simplicity.
The most popular article of this kind is--
HENRY'S VINEGAR.
Dried leaves of rosemary, rue, wormwood, sage,
mint, and lavender flowers, each, 1/2 oz.
Bruised nutmeg, cloves, angelica root, and
camphor, each, 1/4 oz.
Alcohol (rectified), 4 oz.
Concentrated acetic acid, 16 oz.
Macerate the materials for a day in the spirit; then add the acid, and
digest for a week longer, at a temperature of about 14° C. or 15° C.
Finally, press out the new aromatized acid, and filter it.
As this mixture must not go into the ordinary metallic tincture press,
for the obvious reason of the chemical action that would ensue, it is
best to drain as much of the liquor away as we can, by means of a common
funnel, and then to save the residue from the interstices of the herbs,
by tying them up in a linen cloth, and subjecting them to pressure by
means of an ordinary lemon-squeezer, or similar device.
VINAIGRE A LA ROSE.
Concentrated acetic acid, 1 oz.
Otto of roses, 1/2 drachm.
Well shaken together.
It is obvious that vinegars differently perfumed may be made in a
similar manner to the above, by using other ottos in place of the otto
of roses. All these concentrated vinegars are used in the same way as
perfumed ammonia, that is, by pouring three or four drachms into an
ornamental "smelling" bottle, previously filled with crystals of
sulphate of potash, which forms the "sel de vinaigre" of the shops; or
upon sponge into little silver boxes, called vinaigrettes, from their
French origin. The use of these vinegars had their origin in the
presumption of keeping those who carried them from the effects of
infectious disease, doubtless springing out of the story of the "four
thieves' vinegar," which is thus rendered in Lewis's Dispensatory:
"It is said that during the plague at Marseilles, four persons, by the
use of this preservative, attended, unhurt, multitudes of those that
were affected; that under the color of these services, they robbed both
the sick and the dead; and that being afterwards apprehended, one of
them saved himself from the gallows by disclosing the composition of the
prophylactic (a very likely story!!), which was as follows:--
VINAIGRE DES QUATRE VOLEURS, OR FOUR THIEVES' VINEGAR.
Take fresh tops of common wormwood, Roman
wormwood, rosemary, sage, mint, and rue, of
each, 3/4 oz.
Lavender flowers, 1 oz.
Garlic, calamus aromaticus, cinnamon, cloves,
and nutmeg, each, 1 drachm.
Camphor, 1/2 oz.
Alcohol or brandy, 1 oz.
Strong vinegar, 4 pints.
Digest all the materials, except the camphor and spirit, in a closely
covered vessel for a fortnight, at a summer heat; then express and
filter the vinaigre produced, and add the camphor previously dissolved
in the brandy or spirit."
A very similar and quite as effective a preparation may be made by
dissolving the odorous principle of the plants indicated in a mixture of
alcohol and acetic acid. Such preparations, however, are more within the
province of the druggist than perfumer. There are, however, several
preparations of vinegar which are sold to some extent for mixing with
the water for lavatory purposes and the bath, their vendors endeavoring
to place them in competition with Eau de Cologne, but with little
avail. Among them may be enumerated--
HYGIENIC OR PREVENTIVE VINEGAR.
Brandy, 1 pint.
Otto of cloves, 1 drachm.
" lavender, 1 "
" marjoram, 1/2 drachm.
Gum benzoin, 1 oz.
Macerate these together for a few hours, then add--
Brown vinegar, 2 pints.
and strain or filter, if requisite, to be bright.
TOILET VINEGAR (_à la Violette_).
Extract of cassie, 1/2 pint.
" orris, 1/4 "
Esprit de rose, triple, 1/4 "
White wine vinegar, 2 pints.
TOILET VINEGAR (_à la Rose_).
Dried rose-leaves, 4 oz.
Esprit de rose, triple, 1/2 pint.
White wine vinegar, 2 pints.
Macerate in a close vessel for a fortnight, then filter and bottle for
sale.
VINAIGRE DE COLOGNE.
To eau de Cologne, 1 pint,
Add, strong acetic acid, 1/2 oz.
Filter if necessary.
Without unnecessarily repeating similar formulæ, it will be obvious to
the reader that vinegar of any flower may be prepared in a similar way
to those above noticed; thus, for vinaigre à la jasmine, or for vinaigre
à la fleur d'orange, we have only to substitute the esprit de jasmine,
or the esprit de fleur d'orange, in place of the Eau de Cologne, to
produce orange-flower or jasmine vinegars; however, these latter
articles are not in demand, and our only reason for explaining how such
preparations may be made, is in order to suggest the methods of
procedure to any one desirous of making them leading articles in their
trade.
We perhaps may observe, _en passant_, that where economy in the
production of any of the toilet vinegars is a matter of consideration,
they have only to be diluted with rose-water down to the profitable
strength required.
Any of the perfumed vinegars that are required to produce opalescence,
when mixed with water, must contain some gum-resin, like the hygienic
vinegar, as above. Either myrrh, benzoin, storax, or tolu, answer
equally well.