The Art of Perfumery, and Methods of Obtaining the Odors of Plants Part 24

LAIT VIRGINAL.

Rose-water, 1 quart.

Tincture benzoin, 1/2 oz.

Add the water very slowly to the tincture; by so doing an opalescent milky fluid is produced, which will retain its consistency for many years; by reversing this operation, pouring the tincture into the water, a cloudy precipitate of the resinous matter ensues, which does not again become readily suspended in the water.

EXTRACT OF ELDER FLOWERS.

Elder-flower water, 1 quart.

Tincture benzoin, 1 oz.

Manipulate as for virgin's milk.

Similar compounds may, of course, be made with orange-flower and other waters.

SECTION XI.

COLD CREAM.

GALEN, the celebrated physician of Pergamos, in Asia, but who distinguished himself at Athens, Alexandria, and Rome, about 1700 years ago, was the inventor of that peculiar unguent, a mixture of grease and water, which is now distinguished as cold cream in perfumery, and as _Ceratum Galeni_ in Pharmacy.

The modern formula for cold cream is, however, quite a different thing to that given in the works of Galen in point of odor and quality, although substantially the same--grease and water. In perfumery there are several kinds of cold cream, distinguished by their odor, such as that of camphor, almond, violet, roses, &c. Cold cream, as made by English perfumers, bears a high reputation, not only at home, but throughout Europe; the quant.i.ty exported, and which can only be reckoned by jars in hundreds of dozens, and the repeated announcements that may be seen in the shops on the Continent, in Germany, France, and Italy, of "Cold Creme Anglaise," is good proof of the estimation in which it is held.

ROSE COLD CREAM.

Almond oil, 1 lb.

Rose-water, 1 lb.

White wax, } spermaceti, } each, 1 oz.

Otto of roses, 1/2 drachm.

_Manipulation_.--Into a well-glazed thick porcelain vessel, which should be deep in preference to shallow, and capable of holding twice the quant.i.ty of cream that is to be made, place the wax and sperm; now put the jar into a boiling bath of water; when these materials are melted, add the oil, and again subject the whole to heat until the flocks of wax and sperm are liquefied; now remove the jar and contents, and set it under a runner containing the rose-water: the runner may be a tin can, with a small tap at the bottom, the same as used for the manufacture of milk of roses. A stirrer must be provided, made of lancewood, flat, and perforated with holes the size of a sixpence, resembling in form a large palette-knife. As soon as the rose-water is set running, the cream must be kept agitated until the whole of the water has pa.s.sed into it; now and then the flow of water must be stopped, and the cream which sets at the sides of the jar sc.r.a.ped down, and incorporated with that which remains fluid. When the whole of the water has been incorporated, the cream will be cool enough to pour into the jars for sale; at that time the otto of rose is to be added. The reason for the perfume being put in at the last moment is obvious--the heat and subsequent agitation would cause unnecessary loss by evaporation. Cold cream made in this way sets quite firmly in the jars into which it is poured, and retains "a face" resembling pure wax, although one-half is water retained in the interstices of the cream.

When the pots are well glazed, it will keep good for one or two years.

If desired for exportation to the East or West Indies, it should always be sent out in stoppered bottles.

COLD CREAM OF ALMONDS

Is prepared precisely as the above; but in place of otto of roses otto of almonds is used.

VIOLET COLD CREAM.

Huile violette, 1 lb.

Rose-water, 1 lb.

Wax and spermaceti, each, 1 oz.

Otto of almonds, 5 drops.

VIOLET COLD CREAM. IMITATION.

Almond oil, 3/4 lb.

Huile ca.s.sie, 1/4 lb.

Rose-water, 1 lb.

Sperm and wax, 1 oz.

Otto of almonds, 1/4 drachm.

This is an elegant and economical preparation, generally admired.

TUBEREUSE, JASMINE, AND FLEUR D'ORANGE COLD CREAMS.

Are prepared in similar manner to violet (first form); they are all very exquisite preparations, but as they _cost_ more than rose cold cream, perfumers are not much inclined to introduce them in lieu of the latter.

CAMPHOR COLD CREAM. (_Otherwise Camphor Ice_.)

Almond oil, 1 lb.

Rose-water, 1 lb.

Wax and Spermaceti, 1 oz.

Camphor, 2 oz.

Otto of rosemary, 1 drachm.

Melt the camphor, wax, and sperm, in the oil, then manipulate as for cold cream of roses.

CUc.u.mBER COLD CREAM. (_Creme de Concombre_.)

Almond oil, 1 lb.

Green oil, 1 oz.

Juice of cuc.u.mber, 1 lb.

Wax and sperm, each, 1 oz.

Otto of neroli, 1/4 drachm.

The cuc.u.mber juice is readily obtained by subjecting the fruit to pressure in the ordinary tincture press. It must be raised to a temperature high enough to coagulate the small portion of alb.u.men which it contains, and then strained through fine linen, as the heat is detrimental to the odor on account of the great volatility of the otto of cuc.u.mber. The following method may be adopted with advantage:--Slice the fruit very fine with a cuc.u.mber-cutter, and place them in the oil; after remaining together for twenty-four hours, repeat the operation, using fresh fruit in the strained oil; no warmth is necessary, or at most, not more than a summer heat; then proceed to make the cold cream in the usual manner, using the almond oil thus odorized, the rose-water, and other ingredients in the regular way, perfuming, if necessary, with a little neroli.

Another and commoner preparation of cuc.u.mber is found among the Parisians, which is lard simply scented with the juice from the fruit, thus:--The lard is liquefied by heat in a vessel subject to a water-bath; the cuc.u.mber juice is then stirred well into it; the vessel containing the ingredients is now placed in a quiet situation to cool.

The lard will rise to the surface, and when cold must be removed from the fluid juice; the same manipulation being repeated as often as required, according to the strength of odor of the fruit desired in the grease.

PIVERS' POMADE OF CUc.u.mBER.

Benzoinated lard, 6 lbs.

Spermaceti, 2 lbs.

Essence of cuc.u.mbers, 1 lb.

Melt the stearine with the lard, then keep it constantly in motion while it cools, now beat the grease in a mortar, gradually adding the essence of cuc.u.mbers; continue to beat the whole until the spirit is evaporated, and the pomade is beautifully white.

_Melons_ and other similar fruit will scent grease treated in the same way. (See "Essence of Cuc.u.mbers," p. 204.)

POMADE DIVINE.

Among the thousand and one quack nostrums, pomade divine, like James's powder, has obtained a reputation far above the most sanguine expectations of its concoctors. This article strictly belongs to the druggist, being sold as a remedial agent; nevertheless, what _is_ sold is almost always vended by the perfumer. It is prepared thus:--