Chapter XVIII: The Perfumes Used for Fumigation

According to the use made of them, perfumes for fumigation may be divided into two groups: those which develop their fragrance on being burned, and those which do so on being merely heated. The former group includes pastils and ribbons, the latter fumigating powders and waters.

FUMIGATING PASTILS.

_French_—Pastilles fumigatoires; _German_—Räucherkerzen.

Pastils consist in the main of charcoal to which enough saltpetre is added to make the lighted mass glow continuously and leave a pure white ash. To this mass are added various aromatic substances which are gradually volatilized by the heat and fill the surrounding air with their perfume. It is important to observe that only ordinary saltpetre (nitrate of potassium) is to be used for this purpose, and not the so-called Chili saltpetre (nitrate of sodium) which becomes moist in the air. For ordinary pastils finely rasped fragrant woods such as cedar or santal are frequently employed. During the slow combustion, however, the wood gives off products of a pungent or disagreeable odor such as acetic acid and empyreumatic products, which lessen the fragrance. Fine pastils are composed of resins and essential oils and are usually formed into cones two-fifths to four-fifths of an inch high, by being pressed in metal moulds.

Fumigating pastils are manufactured as follows. Each solid ingredient is finely powdered by itself, and the necessary quantities are then put into a wide porcelain dish and intimately mixed with a flat spatula. In order to confine the dust, the dish is covered with a cloth during this operation. The mixture being completed, the essential oils are added, together with enough mucilage of acacia to form a plastic mass to be kneaded with the pestle, and which after drying will have a sufficiently firm consistence.

PASTILLES ORIENTALES.

Charcoal 1½ lb.
Saltpetre 3½ oz.
Benzoin ½ lb.
Powdered amber 3½ oz.
Tolu balsam 2¾ oz.

The charcoal for this and all other pastils should be made from soft woods (willow, poplar, etc.). The characteristic of these pastils is the amber they contain (the offal from manufactories is used) and which on ignition gives off a peculiar odor much prized in the Orient, rather than in Europe or America.

PASTILLES DU SÉRAIL.

Charcoal 1½ lb.
Saltpetre 3½ oz.
Benzoin ½ lb.
Santal wood 5½ oz.
Opium 1¾ oz.
Tolu balsam 2¾ oz.

This formula is here given as usually quoted. It may be stated, however, that the opium may be omitted entirely, as it neither contributes to the fragrance, nor produces, by being burned in this manner, any of the supposed exhilarating or intoxicating effects which it may produce when used in other forms or employed in other ways.

BAGUETTES ENCENSOIRES (FUMIGATING PENCILS).

Benzoin 14 oz.
Charcoal 1¾ oz.
Peru balsam 1 oz.
Storax 2 oz.
Shellac 3½ oz.
Olibanum 5½ oz.
Civet 75 grains.
Oil of bergamot 1 oz.
Oil of orange peel 1 oz.
Oil of santal ¾ oz.

Melt the benzoin, charcoal, shellac, and olibanum in a bright iron pan at the lowest possible heat; take the pan from the fire and add the other ingredients, heat being again applied from time to time to keep the mass in a liquid state. The plastic mass is rolled out on a marble slab into rods the thickness of a lead pencil. Such a pencil need be but lightly passed over a hot surface to volatilize the aromatics it contains.

PASTILLES ODORIFÉRANTES.

Charcoal 2 lb.
Saltpetre 3½ oz.
Benzoin 1½ lb.
Cloves 7 oz.
Tolu balsam 7 oz.
Vanilla 7 oz.
Vetiver root 7 oz.
Cinnamon 3½ oz.
Oil of neroli 150 grains.
Oil of santal ¾ oz.

This and the following formula give the finest mixtures for pastils.

PASTILLES ENBAUMÉES.

Charcoal 2 lb.
Saltpetre 2¾ oz.
Benzoic acid, sublimed 1 lb.
Musk 15 grains.
Civet 15 grains.
Oil of lemon grass 30 grains.
Oil of lavender 15 grains.
Oil of clove 15 grains.
Oil of thyme 30 grains.
Oil of cinnamon 30 grains.

POUDRE D’ENCENS (INCENSE POWDER).

Benzoin ½ lb.
Cascarilla ½ lb.
Musk 15 grains.
Santal wood 1 lb.
Saltpetre 3½ oz.
Vetiver root 5½ oz.
Olibanum 1 lb.
Cinnamon 5½ oz.

Dissolve the saltpetre in water, saturate the powders with the solution, dry the mass, and again reduce it to powder. This powder, strewn on a warm surface such as the top of a stove, takes fire spontaneously and gradually disappears.

FUMIGATING PAPERS AND WICKS (BRUGES RIBBONS).

_French_—Papier à fumigations. Ruban de Bruges; _German_—Räucherpapiere. Räucherbänder.

Fumigating papers are strips impregnated with substances which become fragrant on being heated; such a strip need merely be placed on a stove or held over a flame in order to perfume a whole room. Fumigating papers are divided into two groups: those meant to be burned, and those meant to be used repeatedly. The former, before being treated with aromatics, are dipped into saltpetre solution; the latter, in order to render them incombustible, are first dipped into a hot alum solution so that they are only charred by a strong heat, but not entirely consumed.

A. INFLAMMABLE FUMIGATING PAPER.

Papier Fumigatoire Inflammable.

The paper is dipped into a solution of 3½ to 5½ ounces of saltpetre in water; after drying it is immersed in a strong tincture of benzoin or olibanum and again dried. An excellent paper is made according to the following formula:

Benzoin 5½ oz.
Santal wood 3½ oz.
Olibanum 3½ oz.
Oil of lemon grass 150 grains.
Essence of vetiver 1¾ oz.
Alcohol. 1 qt.

For use, the paper is touched with a red-hot substance, not a flame. It begins to glow at once without bursting into flame, giving off numerous sparks and a pleasant odor.

B. NON-INFLAMMABLE FUMIGATING PAPER.

Papier Fumigatoire Permanent.

This paper is prepared by dipping it in a hot solution of 3½ oz. of alum in one quart of water; after drying, it is saturated with the following mixture:

Benzoin 7 oz.
Tolu balsam 7 oz.
Tincture of tonka 7 oz.
Essence of vetiver 7 oz.
Alcohol 20 fl. oz.

This paper, when heated, diffuses a very pleasant odor and can be used repeatedly. It does not burn, and strong heat only chars it. Some manufacturers make inferior fumigating papers by dipping the alum paper simply in melted benzoin or olibanum.

C. FUMIGATING RIBBONS

are nothing but fine flat lamp wicks treated first with saltpetre solution and then with the preceding mixture. The wick is rolled up and placed in a vessel provided with a lamp burner. It is inserted in the burner like any other wick and when lighted burns down to the metal and goes out unless screwed up higher. Fumigating vessels provided with these wicks are very practical because, if artistic in form, they form quite an ornament to the room and can be instantly set in operation. A French formula gives the following mixture for saturating the wicks:

Benzoin 1 lb.
Musk ¾ oz.
Myrrh 3½ oz.
Tolu balsam 3½ oz.
Tincture of orris root 1 pint.
Oil of rose 15 grains.

FUMIGATING WATERS AND VINEGARS (EAUX ENCENSOIRES, VINAIGRES ENCENSOIRES).

These fluids are nothing but strong solutions of various aromatics in alcohol, a few drops of which suffice, if evaporated on a warm plate, to perfume a large room. The following is a good formula for fumigating water.

Benzoin 7 oz.
Cascarilla 3½ oz.
Cardamoms 3½ oz.
Mace 1¾ oz.
Musk 150 grains.
Peru balsam 1¾ oz.
Storax 1¾ oz.
Tolu balsam 1¾ oz.
Olibanum 3½ oz.
Orris root 14 oz.
Civet 150 grains.
Cinnamon 7 oz.
Oil of bergamot 1½ oz.
Oil of lemon 1½ oz.
Oil of geranium ¾ oz.
Oil of lavender ¾ oz.
Oil of neroli 150 grains.
Alcohol 2 qts.

Of course, this liquid must be filtered after prolonged maceration. By adding to it 1½ oz. of glacial acetic acid we obtain the so-called fumigating vinegar which is very useful for expelling bad odors.

FUMIGATING POWDERS (POUDRES ENCENSOIRES).

These powders which need only to be heated in order to diffuse one of the most pleasant odors, are easily prepared by intimately mixing the ground solids with the oils by means of a spatula. We add three renowned formulas for the manufacture of such powders.

A. POUDRE IMPÉRIALE.

Benzoin 3½ oz.
Cascarilla 1¾ oz.
Lavender 1¾ oz.
Rose leaves 1¾ oz.
Santal wood 1¾ oz.
Olibanum 3½ oz.
Orris root 3½ oz.
Cinnamon 1¾ oz.
Oil of lemon 75 grains.
Oil of clove 30 grains.
Oil of patchouly 15 grains.

B. POUDRE DE LA REINE.

Benzoin 7 oz.
Cedar wood 1 lb.
Cinnamon 14 oz.
Lavender 10½ oz.
Rose leaves 10½ oz.
Patchouly herb 3½ oz.
Vetiver root 3½ oz.
Civet 150 grains.
Oil of bergamot ¾ oz.
Oil of lemon ¾ oz.
Oil of neroli 150 grains.
Oil of clove 150 grains.

C. POUDRE ROYALE.

Cinnamon ½ lb.
Cloves ½ lb.
Orris root 12½ oz.
Storax 12½ oz.
Lavender 1 lb.
Oil of clove ⅜ oz.
Oil of lavender ⅜ oz.
Oil of bergamot ⅛ oz.
Oil of lemon ⅛ oz.