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Page 53
Besides the sachets mentioned there are many other substances applied as
dry perfumes, such as scented wadding, used for quilting into all sorts
of articles adapted for use in a lady's boudoir. Pincushions, jewel
cases, and the like are lined with it. Cotton, so perfumed, is simply
steeped in some strong essence of musk, &c.
PERFUMED BOOK-MARKERS.
We have seen that leather can be impregnated with odoriferous
substances, in the manufacture of peau d'Espagne; just so is card-board
treated prior to being made up into book-marks. In finishing them for
sale, taste alone dictates their design; some are ornamented with beads,
others with embroidery.
CASSOLETTES AND PRINTANIERS.
Cassolettes and Printaniers are little ivory boxes, of various designs,
perforated in order to allow the escape of the odors contained therein.
The paste used for filling these "ivory palaces whereby we are made
glad," is composed of equal parts of grain musk, ambergris, seeds of the
vanilla-pod, otto of roses, and orris powder, with enough gum acacia, or
gum tragacantha, to work the whole together into a paste. These things
are now principally used for perfuming the pocket or reticule, much in
the same way that ornamental silver and gold vinagrettes are used.
PASTILS.
There is no doubt whatever that the origin of the use of pastils, or
pastilles, as they are more often called, from the French, has been
derived from the use of incense at the altars of the temples during the
religious services:--"According to the custom of the priest's office,
his lot (Zacharias') was to burn incense when he went into the temple
of the Lord." (Luke 1:9.) "And thou shalt make an altar to burn
incense.... And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning
when he dresseth the lamps, and at even when he lighteth the lamps he
shall burn incense upon it." (Exodus 30.)
An analogous practice is in use to the present day in the Roman Catholic
churches, but, instead of being consumed upon an altar, the incense is
burned in a censer, as doubtless many of our readers have seen. "As soon
as the signal was given by the chief priest the incense was kindled, the
holy place was filled with perfume, and the congregation without joined
in prayers." (_Carpenters Temple service of the Hebrews._)
THE CENSER.
"On the walls of every temple in Egypt, from Mer�e to Memphis, the
censer is depicted smoking before the presiding deity of the place; on
the walls of the tombs glow in bright colors the preparation of spices
and perfumes." In the British Museum there is a vase (No. 2595) the body
of which is intended to contain a lamp, the sides being perforated to
admit the heat from the flame to act upon the projecting tubes; which
are intended to contain ottos of flowers placed in the small vases at
the end of the tubes; the heat volatilizes the ottos, and quickly
perfumes an apartment. This vase or censer is from an Egyptian catacomb.
[Illustration: The Censer.]
The Censer, as used in the "holy places," is made either of brass,
German silver, or the precious metals; its form somewhat resembles a
saucer and an inverted cup, which latter is perforated, to allow the
escape of the perfume. In the outer saucer is placed an inner one of
copper, which can be taken out and filled with ignited charcoal. When in
use, the ignited carbon is placed in the censer, and is then covered
with the incense; the heat rapidly volatilizes it in visible fumes. The
effect is assisted by the incense-bearer swinging the censer, attached
to three long chains, in the air. The manner of swinging the censer
varies slightly in the churches in Rome, in France, and in England, some
holding it above the head. At LA MADELEINE the method is always
to give the censer a full swing at the greatest length of the chains
with the right hand, and to catch it up short with the left hand.
Several samples of "incense prepared for altar service," as sent out by
Mr. Martin, of Liverpool, appear to be nothing more than gum olibanum,
of indifferent quality, and not at all like the composition as
especially commanded by God, the form for which is given in full in
Exodus.
The pastils of the moderns are really but a very slight modification of
the incense of the ancients. For many years they were called Osselets of
Cyprus. In the old books on pharmacy a certain mixture of the then known
gum-resins was called Suffitus, which being thrown upon hot ashes
produced a vapor which was considered to be salutary in many diseases.
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