The Art of Perfumery Part 22

Reduce the soap to shavings, and dry them as much as possible, then dissolve in alcohol, using as little spirit as will effect the solution, then color and perfume as desired, and cast the product in appropriate moulds; finally dry in a warm situation.

Until the Legislature allows spirit to be used for manufacturing purposes, free of duty, we cannot compete with our neighbors in this article.

JUNIPER TAR SOAP.

This soap is made from the tar of the wood of the _Juniperus communis_, by dissolving it in a fixed vegetable oil, such as almond or olive oil, or in fine tallow, and forming a soap by means of a weak soda lye, after the customary manner. This yields a moderately firm and clear soap, which may be readily used by application to parts affected with eruptions at night, mixed with a little water, and carefully washed off the following morning. This soap has lately been much used for eruptive disorders, particularly on the Continent, and with varying degrees of success. It is thought that the efficient element in its composition is a rather less impure hydrocarburet than that known in Paris under the name _huile de cade_. On account of its ready miscibility with water, it possesses great advantage over the common tar ointment.

MEDICATED SOAPS.

Six years ago I began making a series of medicated soaps, such as SULPHUR SOAP, IODINE SOAP, BROMINE SOAP, CREOSOTE SOAP, MERCURIAL SOAP, CROTON OIL SOAP, and many others. These soaps are prepared by adding the medicant to curd soap, and then making in a tablet form for use. For sulphur soap, the curd soap may be melted, and flowers of sulphur added while the soap is in a soft condition. For antimony soap and mercurial soap, the low oxides of the metals employed may also be mixed in the curd soap in a melted state. Iodine, bromine, creosote soap, and others containing very volatile substances, are best prepared cold by shaving up the curd soap in a mortar, and mixing the medicant with it by long beating.

In certain cutaneous diseases the author has reason to believe that they will prove of infinite service as auxiliaries to the general treatment.

It is obvious that the absorbent vessels of the skin are very active during the lavoratory process; such soap must not, therefore, be used except by the special advice of a medical man. Probably these soaps will be found useful for internal application. The precedent of the use of Castile soap (containing oxide of iron) renders it likely that when prejudice has pa.s.sed away, such soaps will find a place in the pharmacopoeias. The discovery of the solubility, under certain conditions, of the active alkaloids, quinine, morphia, &c., in oil, by Mr. W. Bastick, greatly favors the supposition of a.n.a.logous compounds in soap.

SECTION IX.

EMULSINES.

From soaps proper we now pa.s.s to those compounds used as subst.i.tutes for soap, which are cla.s.sed together under one general t.i.tle as above, for the reason that all cosmetiques herein embraced have the property of forming emulsions with water.

Chemically considered, they are an exceedingly interesting cla.s.s of compounds, and are well worthy of study. Being p.r.o.ne to decomposition, as might be expected from their composition, they should be made only in small portions, or, at least, only in quant.i.ties to meet a ready sale.

While in stock they should be kept as cool as possible, and free from a damp atmosphere.

AMANDINE.

Fine almond oil, 7 lbs.

Simple syrup,[E] 4 oz.

White soft soap, or saponaceous cream, _i.e._ } Creme d'Amande, } 1 oz.

Otto of almonds, 1 oz.

" bergamot, 1 oz.

" cloves, 1/2 oz.

Rub the syrup with the soft soap until the mixture is h.o.m.ogeneous, then rub in the oil by degrees; the perfume having been previously mixed with the oil.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Oil-Runner in Emulsine Process.]

In the manufacture of amandine (and olivine) the difficulty is to get in the quant.i.ty of oil indicated, without which it does not a.s.sume that transparent jelly appearance which good amandine should have. To attain this end, the oil is put into "a runner," that is, a tin or gla.s.s vessel, at the bottom of which is a small faucet and spigot, or tap. The oil being put into this vessel is allowed to run slowly into the mortar in which the amandine is being made, just as fast as the maker finds that he can incorporate it with the paste of soap and syrup; and so long as this takes place, the result will always have a jelly texture to the hand. If, however, the oil be put into the mortar quicker than the workman can blend it with the paste, then the paste becomes "oiled," and may be considered as "done for," unless, indeed, the whole process be gone through again, starting off with fresh syrup and soap, using up the greasy ma.s.s as if it were pure oil. This liability to "go off,"

increases as the amandine nears the finish; hence extra caution and plenty of "elbow grease" must be used during the addition of the last two pounds of oil. If the oil be not perfectly fresh, or if the temperature of the atmosphere be above the average of summer heat, it will be almost impossible to get the whole of the oil given in the formula into combination; when the ma.s.s becomes bright and of a crystalline l.u.s.tre, it will be well to stop the further addition of oil to it.

This and similar compounds should be potted as quickly as made, and the lids of the pots banded either with strips of tin-foil or paper, to exclude air. When the amandine is filled into the jars, the top or face of it is marked or ornamented with a tool made to the size of half the diameter of the interior of the jar, in a similar way to a saw; a piece of lead or tortoise-sh.e.l.l, being serrated with an angular file, or piece of an "old saw," will do very well; place the marker on the amandine, and turn the jar gently round.

OLIVINE.

Gum acacia, in powder, 2 oz.

Honey, 6 oz.

Yolk of eggs, in number, 5.

White soft soap, 3 oz.

Olive oil, 2 lbs.

Green oil, 1 oz.

Otto of bergamot, 1 oz.

" lemon, 1 oz.

" cloves, 1/2 oz.

" thyme and ca.s.sia, each, 1/2 drachm.

Rub the gum and honey together until incorporated, then add the soap and egg. Having mixed the green oil and perfumes with the olive oil, the mixture is to be placed in the runner, and the process followed exactly as indicated for amandine.

HONEY AND ALMOND PASTE. (_Pate d'Amande au Miel_.)

Bitter almonds, blanched and ground, 1/2 lb.

Honey, 1 lb.

Yolk of eggs, in number, 8.

Almond oil, 1 lb.

Otto of bergamot, 1/4 oz.

" cloves, 1/4 oz.

Rub the eggs and honey together first, then gradually add the oil, and finally the ground almonds and the perfume.

ALMOND PASTE.

Bitter almonds, blanched and ground, 1-1/2 lb.

Rose-water, 1-1/2 pint.

Alcohol (60 o.p.), 16 oz.

Otto of bergamot, 3 oz.

Place the ground almonds and one pint of the rose-water into a stewpan; with a slow and steady heat, cook the almonds until their granular texture a.s.sumes a pasty form, constantly stirring the mixture during the whole time, otherwise the almonds quickly burn to the bottom of the pan, and impart to the whole an empyreumatic odor.

The large quant.i.ty of otto of almonds which is volatilized during the process, renders it essential that the operator should avoid the vapor as much as possible.

When the almonds are nearly cooked, the remaining water is to be added; finally the paste is put into a mortar, and well rubbed with the pestle; then the perfume and spirit are added. Before potting this paste, as well as honey paste, it should be pa.s.sed through a medium fine sieve, to insure uniformity of texture, especially as almonds do not grind kindly.

Other pastes, such as _Pate de Pistache_, _Pate de Cocos_, _Pate de Guimauve_, are prepared in so similar a manner to the above that it is unnecessary to say more about them here, than that they must not be confounded with preparations bearing a similar name made by confectioners.

ALMOND MEAL.

Ground almonds, 1 lb.

Wheat flour, 1 lb.

Orris-root powder, 1/4 lb.

Otto of lemon, 1/2 oz.

" almonds, 1/4 drachm.

PISTACHIO NUT MEAL, OR ANY OTHER NUT.

Pistachio nuts (decorticated as almonds } are bleached), } 1 lb.

Orris powder, 1 lb.