Chapter VIII: Section V

AMMONIA.--Under the various titles of "Smelling Salts," "Preston Salts," "Inexhaustible Salts," "Eau de Luce," "Sal Volatile," ammonia, mixed with other odoriferous bodies, has been very extensively consumed as material for gratifying the olfactory nerve.

The perfumer uses liq. amm. fortis, that is, strong liquid ammonia, and the sesqui-carbonate of ammonia, for preparing the various "salts" that he sells. These materials he does not attempt to make; in fact, it is quite out of his province so to do, but he procures them ready for his hand through some manufacturing chemist. The best preparation for smelling-bottles is what is termed INEXHAUSTIBLE SALTS, which is prepared thus:--

Liquid ammonia, 1 pint.
Otto of rosemary, 1 drachm.
" English lavender, 1 "
" bergamot, 1/2 "
" cloves, 1/2 "

Mix the whole together with agitation in a very strong and well-stoppered bottle.

This mixture is used by filling the smelling-bottles with any porous absorbent material, such as asbestos, or, what is better, sponge cuttings, that have been well beaten, washed, and dried. These cuttings can be procured at a nominal price from any of the sponge-dealers, being the trimming or roots of the Turkey sponge, which are cut off before the merchants send it into the retail market. After the bottles are filled with the sponge, it is thoroughly saturated with the scented ammonia, but no more is poured in than the sponge will retain, when the bottles are inverted; as, if by any chance the ammonia runs out and is spilt over certain colored fabrics, it causes a stain. When such an accident happens, the person who sold it is invariably blamed.

When the sponge is saturated properly, it will retain the ammoniacal odor longer than any other material; hence, we presume, bottles filled in this way are called "inexhaustible," which name, however, they do not sustain more than two or three months with any credit; the warm hand soon dissipates the ammonia under any circumstances, and they require to be refilled.

For transparent colored bottles, instead of sponge, the perfumers use what they call insoluble crystal salts (sulphate of potass). The bottles being filled with crystals, are covered either with the liquid ammonia, scented as above, or with alcoholic ammonia. The necks of the bottles are filled with a piece of white cotton; otherwise, when inverted, from the non-absorbent quality of the crystals, the ammonia runs out, and causes complaints to be made. The crystals are prettier in colored bottles than the sponge; but in plain bottles the sponge appears quite as handsome, and, as before observed, it holds the ammonia better than any other material. Perfumers sell also what is called WHITE SMELLING SALTS, and PRESTON SALTS. The White Smelling Salt is the sesqui-carbonate of ammonia in powder, with which is mixed any perfuming otto that is thought fit,--lavender otto giving, as a general rule, the most satisfaction.

PRESTON SALTS, which is the cheapest of all the ammoniacal compounds, is composed of some easily decomposable salt of ammonia and lime, such as equal parts of muriate of ammonia, or of sesqui-carbonate of ammonia, and of fresh-slaked lime. When the bottles are filled with this compound, rammed in very hard, a drop or two of some cheap otto is poured on the top prior to corking. For this purpose otto of French lavender, or otto of bergamot, answers very well. We need scarcely mention that the corks are dipped into melted sealing-wax, or brushed over with liquid wax, that is, red or black wax dissolved in alcohol, to which a small portion of ether is added. The only other compound of ammonia that is sold in the perfumery trade is Eau de Luce, though properly it belongs to the druggist. When correctly made--which is very rarely the case--it retains the remarkable odor of oil of amber, which renders it characteristic.

EAU DE LUCE.

Tincture of benzoin: or, } " balsam of Peru, } 1 oz. Otto of lavender, 10 drops. Oil of amber, 5 " Liquor ammonia, 2 oz.

If requisite, strain through cotton wool, but it must not be filtered, as it should have the appearance of a milk-white emulsion.

ACETIC ACID AND ITS USE IN PERFUMERY.--The pungency of the odor of vinegar naturally brought it into the earliest use in the art of perfumery.

The acetic acid, evolved by distilling acetate of copper (verdigris), is the true "aromatic" vinegar of the old alchemists.

The modern aromatic vinegar is the concentrated acetic acid aromatized with various ottos, camphor, &c., thus--

AROMATIC VINEGAR.

Concentrated acetic acid, 8 oz. Otto of English lavender, 2 drachms. " " rosemary, 1 drachm. " cloves, 1 " " camphor, 1 oz.

First dissolve the bruised camphor in the acetic acid, then add the perfumes; after remaining together for a few days, with occasional agitation, it is to be strained, and is then ready for use.

Several forms for the preparation of this substance have been published, almost all of which, however, appear to complicate and mystify a process that is all simplicity.

The most popular article of this kind is--

HENRY'S VINEGAR.

Dried leaves of rosemary, rue, wormwood, sage, mint, and lavender flowers, each, 1/2 oz. Bruised nutmeg, cloves, angelica root, and camphor, each, 1/4 oz. Alcohol (rectified), 4 oz. Concentrated acetic acid, 16 oz.

Macerate the materials for a day in the spirit; then add the acid, and digest for a week longer, at a temperature of about 14° C. or 15° C. Finally, press out the new aromatized acid, and filter it.

As this mixture must not go into the ordinary metallic tincture press, for the obvious reason of the chemical action that would ensue, it is best to drain as much of the liquor away as we can, by means of a common funnel, and then to save the residue from the interstices of the herbs, by tying them up in a linen cloth, and subjecting them to pressure by means of an ordinary lemon-squeezer, or similar device.

VINAIGRE A LA ROSE.

Concentrated acetic acid, 1 oz. Otto of roses, 1/2 drachm.

Well shaken together.

It is obvious that vinegars differently perfumed may be made in a similar manner to the above, by using other ottos in place of the otto of roses. All these concentrated vinegars are used in the same way as perfumed ammonia, that is, by pouring three or four drachms into an ornamental "smelling" bottle, previously filled with crystals of sulphate of potash, which forms the "sel de vinaigre" of the shops; or upon sponge into little silver boxes, called vinaigrettes, from their French origin. The use of these vinegars had their origin in the presumption of keeping those who carried them from the effects of infectious disease, doubtless springing out of the story of the "four thieves' vinegar," which is thus rendered in Lewis's Dispensatory:

"It is said that during the plague at Marseilles, four persons, by the use of this preservative, attended, unhurt, multitudes of those that were affected; that under the color of these services, they robbed both the sick and the dead; and that being afterwards apprehended, one of them saved himself from the gallows by disclosing the composition of the prophylactic (a very likely story!!), which was as follows:--

VINAIGRE DES QUATRE VOLEURS, OR FOUR THIEVES' VINEGAR.

Take fresh tops of common wormwood, Roman wormwood, rosemary, sage, mint, and rue, of each, 3/4 oz. Lavender flowers, 1 oz. Garlic, calamus aromaticus, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, each, 1 drachm. Camphor, 1/2 oz. Alcohol or brandy, 1 oz. Strong vinegar, 4 pints.

Digest all the materials, except the camphor and spirit, in a closely covered vessel for a fortnight, at a summer heat; then express and filter the vinaigre produced, and add the camphor previously dissolved in the brandy or spirit."

A very similar and quite as effective a preparation may be made by dissolving the odorous principle of the plants indicated in a mixture of alcohol and acetic acid. Such preparations, however, are more within the province of the druggist than perfumer. There are, however, several preparations of vinegar which are sold to some extent for mixing with the water for lavatory purposes and the bath, their vendors endeavoring to place them in competition with Eau de Cologne, but with little avail. Among them may be enumerated--

HYGIENIC OR PREVENTIVE VINEGAR.

Brandy, 1 pint. Otto of cloves, 1 drachm. " lavender, 1 " " marjoram, 1/2 drachm. Gum benzoin, 1 oz.

Macerate these together for a few hours, then add--

Brown vinegar, 2 pints.

and strain or filter, if requisite, to be bright.

TOILET VINEGAR (_à la Violette_).

Extract of cassie, 1/2 pint. " orris, 1/4 " Esprit de rose, triple, 1/4 " White wine vinegar, 2 pints.

TOILET VINEGAR (_à la Rose_).

Dried rose-leaves, 4 oz. Esprit de rose, triple, 1/2 pint. White wine vinegar, 2 pints.

Macerate in a close vessel for a fortnight, then filter and bottle for sale.

VINAIGRE DE COLOGNE.

To eau de Cologne, 1 pint, Add, strong acetic acid, 1/2 oz.

Filter if necessary.

Without unnecessarily repeating similar formulæ, it will be obvious to the reader that vinegar of any flower may be prepared in a similar way to those above noticed; thus, for vinaigre à la jasmine, or for vinaigre à la fleur d'orange, we have only to substitute the esprit de jasmine, or the esprit de fleur d'orange, in place of the Eau de Cologne, to produce orange-flower or jasmine vinegars; however, these latter articles are not in demand, and our only reason for explaining how such preparations may be made, is in order to suggest the methods of procedure to any one desirous of making them leading articles in their trade.

We perhaps may observe, _en passant_, that where economy in the production of any of the toilet vinegars is a matter of consideration, they have only to be diluted with rose-water down to the profitable strength required.

Any of the perfumed vinegars that are required to produce opalescence, when mixed with water, must contain some gum-resin, like the hygienic vinegar, as above. Either myrrh, benzoin, storax, or tolu, answer equally well.