The Art of Perfumery, and Methods of Obtaining the Odors of Plants Part 18

THE CENSER.

"On the walls of every temple in Egypt, from Meroe 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.

[Ill.u.s.tration: The Censer.]

The Censer, as used in the "holy places," is made either of bra.s.s, 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 a.s.sisted 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 G.o.d, 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.

It is under the same impression that pastils are now used, or at least to cover the _mal odeur_ of the sick-chamber.

There is not much variety in the formula of the pastils that are now in use; we have first the

INDIAN, OR YELLOW PASTILS.

Santal-wood, in powder, 1 lb.

Gum benzoin, 1-1/2 lb.

" Tolu, 1/4 lb.

Otto of santal, } " ca.s.sia, } each, 3 drachms.

" cloves, } Nitrate of pota.s.s, 1-1/2 oz.

Mucilage of tragacantha, q.s. to make the whole into a stiff paste.

The benzoin, santal-wood, and Tolu, are to be powdered and mixed by sifting them, adding the ottos. The nitre being dissolved in the mucilage, is then added. After well beating in a mortar, the pastils are formed in shape with a pastil mould, and gradually dried.

The Chinese josticks are of a similar composition, but contain no Tolu.

Josticks are burned as incense in the temples of the Buddahs in the Celestial Empire, and to such an extent as to greatly enhance the value of santal-wood.

DR. PARIS'S PASTILS.

Benzoin, } Cascarilla, } of each, 1/4 lb.

Myrrh, 1-1/4 oz.

Charcoal, 1-1/2 lb.

Otto of nutmegs, } of each, " cloves, } 3/4 oz.

Nitre, 2 oz.

Mix as in the preceding.

PERFUMER'S PASTILS.

Well-burned charcoal, 1 lb.

Benzoin, 3/4 lb.

Tolu, } Vanilla pods, } of each, 1/4 lb.

Cloves, } Otto of santal, } " neroli, } of each, 2 dr.

Nitre, 1-1/2 oz.

Mucilage tragacantha, _q.s._

PIESSE'S PASTILS.

Willow charcoal, 1/2 lb.

Benzoic acid, 6 oz.

Otto of thyme, } " caraway, } " rose, } of each, 1/2 dr.

" lavender,} " cloves, } " santal, }

Prior to mixing, dissolve 3/4 oz. nitre in half a pint of distilled or ordinary rose water; with this solution thoroughly wet the charcoal, and then allow it to dry in a warm place.

When the thus nitrated charcoal is quite dry, pour over it the mixed ottos, and stir in the flowers of benzoin. When well mixed by sifting (the sieve is a better tool for mixing powders than the pestle and mortar), it is finally beaten up in a mortar, with enough mucilage to bind the whole together, and the less that is used the better.

A great variety of formulae have been published for the manufacture of pastils; nine-tenths of them contain some woods or bark, or aromatic seeds. Now, when such substances are burned, the chemist knows that if the ligneous fibre contained in them undergoes combustion--the slow combustion--materials are produced which have far from a pleasant odor; in fact, the smell of burning wood predominates over the volatilized aromatic ingredients; it is for this reason alone that charcoal is used in lieu of other substances. The use of charcoal in a pastil is merely for burning, producing, during its combustion, the heat required to quickly volatilize the perfuming material with which it is surrounded.

The product of the combustion of charcoal is inodorous, and therefore does not in any way interfere with the fragrance of the pastil. Such is, however, not the case with any ingredients that may be used that are not in themselves perfectly volatile by the aid of a small increment of heat. If combustion takes place, which is always the case with all the aromatic woods that are introduced into pastils, we have, besides the volatilized otto which the wood contains, all the compounds naturally produced by the slow burning of ligneous matter, spoiling the true odor of the other ingredients volatilized.

There are, it is true, certain kinds of fumigation adopted occasionally where these products are the materials sought. By such fumigation, as when brown paper is allowed to smoulder (undergo slow combustion) in a room for the purpose of covering bad smells. By the quick combustion of tobacco, that is, combustion with flame, there is no odor developed, but by its slow combustion, according to the method adopted by those who indulge in "the weed," the familiar aroma, "the cloud," is generated, and did not exist ready formed in the tobacco. Now a well-made pastil should not develope any odor of its own, but simply volatilize that fragrant matter, whatever it be, used in its manufacture. We think that the fourth formula given above carries out that object.

It does not follow that the formulae that are here given produce at all times the odor that is most approved; it is evident that in pastils, as with other perfumes, a great deal depends upon taste. Many persons very much object to the aroma of benzoin, while they greatly admire the fumes of cascarilla.

THE PERFUME LAMP.

Shortly after the discovery of the peculiar property of spongy platinum remaining incandescent in the vapor of alcohol, the late Mr. I. Deck, of Cambridge, made a very ingenious application of it for the purpose of perfuming apartments. An ordinary spirit lamp is filled with Eau de Cologne, and "trimmed" with a wick in the usual manner. Over the centre of the wick, and standing about the eighth of an inch above it, a small ball of spongy platinum is placed, maintained in its position by being fixed to a thin gla.s.s rod, which is inserted into the wick.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Perfume Lamp.]

Thus arranged, the lamp is to be lighted and allowed to burn until the platinum becomes red hot; the flame may then be blown out, nevertheless the platinum remains incandescent for an indefinite period. The proximity of a red-hot ball to a material of the physical quality of Eau de Cologne, diffused over a surface of cotton wick, as a matter of course causes its rapid evaporation, and as a consequence the diffusion of odor.

Instead of the lamp being charged with Eau de Cologne, we may use Eau de Portugal, vervaine, or any other spirituous essence. Several perfumers make a particular mixture for this purpose, which is called

EAU A BRULER.

Eau de Cologne, 1 pint.

Tincture of benzoin, 2 oz.

" vanilla, 1 oz.

Otto of thyme, } " mint, } of each, 1/2 drachm.

" nutmeg, }

Another form, called

EAU POUR BRULER.

Rectified spirit, 1 pint.

Benzoic acid, 1/2 oz.

Otto of thyme, } of each, 1 drachm.

" caraway, } " bergamot, 2 oz.

Persons who are in the habit of using the perfume lamps will, however frequently observe that, whatever difference there may be in the composition of the fluid introduced into the lamp, there is a degree of similarity in the odor of the result when the platinum is in action.

This arises from the fact, that so long as there is the vapor of alcohol, mixed with oxygen-air, pa.s.sing over red-hot platinum, certain definite products always result, namely, acetic acid, aldehyde, and acetal, which are formed more or less and impart a peculiar and rather agreeable fragrance to the vapor, but which overpowers any other odor that is present.

FUMIGATING PAPER.

There are two modes of preparing this article:--