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Page 10
[Illustration: Pipette to draw off small portions of otto from water.]
2. _Distillation._--The plant, or part of it, which contains the
odoriferous principle, is placed in an iron, copper, or glass pan,
varying in size from that capable of holding from one to twenty gallons,
and covered with water; to the pan a dome-shaped lid is fitted,
terminating with a pipe, which is twisted corkscrew fashion, and fixed
in a bucket, with the end peeping out like a tap in a barrel. The water
in the still--for such is the name of the apparatus--is made to boil;
and having no other exit, the steam must pass through the coiled pipe;
which, being surrounded with cold water in the bucket, condenses the
vapor before it can arrive at the tap. With the steam, the volatile
oils--_i.e._ perfume--rises, and is liquefied at the same time. The
liquids which thus run over, on standing for a time, separate into two
portions, and are finally divided with a funnel having a stopcock in the
narrow part of it. By this process, the majority of the volatile or
essential oils are procured. In some few instances alcohol--_i.e._
rectified spirit of wine--is placed upon the odorous materials in lieu
of water, which, on being distilled, comes away with the perfuming
substance dissolved in it. But this process is now nearly obsolete, as
it is found more beneficial to draw the oil or essence first with water,
and afterwards to dissolve it in the spirit. The low temperature at
which spirit boils, compared with water, causes a great loss of
essential oil, the heat not being sufficient to disengage it from the
plant, especially where seeds such as cloves or caraway are employed. It
so happens, however, that the finest odors, the _recherch�_ as the
Parisians say, cannot be procured by this method; then recourse is had
to the next process.
[Illustration: Tap funnel for separating ottos from water and spirits
from oil.]
3. _Maceration._--Of all the processes for procuring the perfumes of
flowers, this is the most important to the perfumer, and is the least
understood in England; as this operation yields not only the most
exquisite essences indirectly, but also nearly all those fine pomades
known here as "French pomatums," so much admired for the strength of
fragrance, together with "French oils" equally perfumed. The operation
is conducted thus:--For what is called pomade, a certain quantity of
purified mutton or deer suet is put into a clean metal or porcelain pan,
this being melted by a steam heat; the kind of flowers required for the
odor wanted are carefully picked and put into the liquid fat, and
allowed to remain from twelve to forty-eight hours; the fat has a
particular affinity or attraction for the oil of flowers, and thus, as
it were, draws it out of them, and becomes itself, by their aid, highly
perfumed; the fat is strained from the spent flowers, and fresh are
added four or five times over, till the pomade is of the required
strength; these various strengths of pomatums are noted by the French
makers as Nos. 6, 12, 18, and 24, the higher numerals indicating the
amount of fragrance in them. For perfumed oils the same operation is
followed; but, in lieu of suet, fine olive oil or oil of ben, derived
from the ben nuts of the Levant, is used, and the same results are
obtained. These oils are called "Huile Antique" of such and such a
flower.
When neither of the foregoing processes gives satisfactory results, the
method of procedure adopted is by,--
4. _Absorption_, or _Enfleurage._--The odors of some flowers are so
delicate and volatile, that the heat required in the previously named
processes would greatly modify, if not entirely spoil them; this
process is, therefore, conducted cold, thus:--Square frames, about three
inches deep, with a glass bottom, say two feet wide and three feet long,
are procured; over the glass a layer of fat is spread, about half an
inch thick, with a kind of plaster knife or spatula; into this the
flower buds are stuck, cup downwards, and ranged completely over it, and
there left from twelve to seventy-two hours.
Some houses, such as that of Messrs. Pilar and Sons; Pascal Brothers; H.
Herman, and a few others, have 3000 such frames at work during the
season; as they are filled, they are piled one over the other, the
flowers are changed so long as the plants continue to bloom, which now
and then exceeds two or three months.
For oils of the same plants, coarse linen cloths are imbued with the
finest olive oil or oil of ben, and stretched upon a frame made of iron;
on these the flowers are laid and suffered to remain a few days. This
operation is repeated several times, after which the cloths are
subjected to great pressure, to remove the now perfumed oil.
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