C. Deite

“ The Acacia Farnesiana grows on the seashore, without having to fear frost, which in one night might destroy the entire crop, while at the foot of the Alps, on Mount Esteral, the violet diffuses a much sweeter odor than in the hotter regions, where the olive and the tuberose reach perfect bloom. ”

“ The fats and oils used should not be rancid, for, on the one hand, the bad odor arising from rancidity is troublesome in perfuming, and, on the other, what is of still greater importance, rancid fat injuriously affects the scalp and the growth of the hair. Of the oils above mentioned, which are sometimes used, poppy oil is a drying oil, and, therefore, not suitable for the purpose.
Some fats enjoy a special reputation as hair pomades, the property of strengthening the scalp and promoting the growth of the hair being ascribed to them. ”

“ Attempts have been made to effect the distillation of volatile oils without the use of steam by means of hot air, but comparative experiments have shown that less oil is obtained. With the use of steam, the vegetable substances swell up by the absorption of water, and thus afford a free passage to the oil, liberated from the sacs containing it. With the use of hot air, on the other hand, the surface of the plant is completely dried and shrivels to a hard solid mass, which offers considerable resistance to the process of distillation. ”

“ Now it seems not impossible, that up to a certain limit, the quantities of these combinations in the separate volatile oils remain constant, thus presenting the opportunity of testing the respective oils as to their quality and purity by saponification. In some cases these combinations are the chief bearers of the specific odor, and hence the determination of the "saponification number" becomes of double value. It is, of course, self-evident that not every volatile oil can be saponified, and Kremel admits that, even where saponification takes place, it is not in every case a sure test. ”

“ Upon paper, fluid volatile oils produce grease spots, which differ, however, from those caused by fat oils in that they gradually disappear at an ordinary temperature, and rapidly by gentle heating. Most volatile oils are insoluble, or only with difficulty and sparingly soluble, in water, but they impart to the latter their odor and taste. They are readily soluble in alcohol, ether, chloroform, bisulphide of carbon and petroleum-ether, and miscible in every proportion with fats and fat oils. By their solubility in alcohol they differ from most fat oils. ”

“ Petroleum causes a milky-white turbidity, while in the presence of fat oil the mixture becomes turbid, but not actually milky. As a rule, fat oil deposits, after standing, on the bottom, while petroleum floats upon the surface of the fluid. Citronella oil adulterated with fat oil does not dissolve in 1 to 2 parts nor in 10 parts of 80 per cent. alcohol, while oil adulterated with not too large a quantity of petroleum, gives a clear solution with 1 to 2 parts. The determination of the specific gravity may also serve for the detection of adulterations. ”

“ In speaking of the volatile oils used in perfumery, two artificial perfume-materials, artificial oils of bitter almonds and wintergreen have already been mentioned. There can be no doubt that when the chemical construction of volatile oils is better known, chemistry will succeed in preparing still more such combinations, valuable for perfumery, or in converting cheap volatile oils into more valuable ones, as has, for instance, been done by Bouchardat and Lafont, who have successfully converted oil of turpentine into oil of lemons. ”

“ Most of the pomades consumed in Germany are prepared from fresh, purified lard and beef-tallow, though sometimes additions of wax, spermaceti, stearin, castor-oil, cocoanut oil, etc., are made, or the pomade is entirely composed of the latter fats. For inferior qualities of pomades, borax is much used, since it not only possesses the property of combining a quantity of water with the fat, but also makes the pomade more durable. ”

“ Some oils become darker on exposure to light, while others, for instance, lemon oil, become colorless. Most volatile oils, as previously mentioned, absorb oxygen from the air with avidity and combine chemically with it. Thinly-fluid oils become perceptibly more thickly-fluid and finally even rigid, the product of oxidation being a resinous body. Some volatile oils containing aldehydes are converted, by the absorption of oxygen, into acids, cinnamic acid being, for instance, formed in cinnamon oil, and benzoic acid in oil of bitter almonds. ”

“ The oil is frequently adulterated with alcohol. To detect such adulteration, Righini recommends the following method: Mix 15 parts of the oil with a like quantity of pure olive oil or oil of sweet almonds. If alcohol is present, it immediately separates, like water, from the fat oil; if no separation takes place the oil is not adulterated with alcohol. The tannin test also gives reliable results. In storing oil of bergamot great care must be exercised to exclude air and light, as it is one of the most changeable oils and soon acquires an odor resembling that of turpentine. ”

“ The oil is obtained by distillation, either from the fresh root in India, or from the imported dried root in Europe. The yield is very small. The oil is thickly-fluid, of a red-brown color, and has an intense, but agreeable odor very much like that of oil of orris root. Like the latter, it possesses the valuable property of diffusing a lasting perfume. Its value can only be judged by the odor, and hence it should only be purchased from a thoroughly reliable firm. ”

“ Pure oil of mirbane is pale yellow, the finest qualities being colorless and almost as clear as water. It has an agreeable odor resembling that of oil of bitter almonds, a specific gravity of 1.186 to 1.2 = 25° Bé., and congeals at 37.4° F. to a crystalline mass. It is scarcely soluble in water, sparingly so in alcohol and with difficulty in watery spirit of wine; it is miscible in all proportions with ether, benzine, volatile oils, and most fat oils. ”

“ Heliotropin or piperonal is of great importance in the manufacture of perfumes. It forms small, colorless prismatic crystals, which have an agreeable odor of héliotrope. Upon the tongue heliotropin produces the same sensation as oil of peppermint under the same conditions, the sensation being, however, more lasting. It melts at about 104° F., and volatilizes at a higher temperature without leaving a residue. It is soluble in alcohol and ether, and insoluble in cold water; in hot water it melts to an oily liquid which floats upon the water. ”

“ Volatile oils are much adulterated, the adulterations consisting chiefly in mixing an expensive oil with a cheaper one and with alcohol; more rarely with chloroform and fat oils. To these adulterations, which have been common for many years, has recently been added the previously mentioned hydrocarbon called terpene or camphene, which is separated in the preparation of concentrated oils.
For the recognition of the quality of a volatile oil, serve first of all its physical properties, especially its color, odor and taste. ”

“ But the oils prepared by extraction are not sufficiently purified by mere rectification, as traces of the solvent adhere tenaciously to them, which can only be removed by passing a current of air through the oil. But contact with air has an injurious effect upon the delicacy of the odor. For expensive oils a current of air should therefore never be used, but one of pure carbonic acid. ”

“ To properly preserve the hair it requires to be occasionally oiled, and the scalp to be frequently cleansed. Pomades and oils serve for the former purpose, and hair tonics for the latter. For the preparation of pomades, fats, such as lard, beef-tallow, and beef-marrow, are principally used, though cocoa butter, cocoanut oil, castor oil, almond oil, spermaceti, and wax, and, more recently, vaseline are also employed. For the preparation of hair oils, fat oils, especially olive oil and almond oil are used, but also poppy oil, peanut oil, sesame oil, etc. ”

“ As adulterants, are used: Alcohol, volatile oils, fat oil, especially castor oil; further, copaiba balsam, Canada balsam, gurjun balsam, storax, benzoin, and asphaltum. The establishment of these adulterants is connected with difficulties; but the properties of Peru balsam are so characteristic that it is quite easy to detect whether it is genuine and pure, or not, the specific gravity and proportions of solubility deserving especial attention in this respect. ”

“ The mixture of oil, sulphuric acid and alcohol is perfectly clear and transparent with oils of bitter almonds, fennel, clove and rose; with anise-seed oil and star anise-seed oil only the alcoholic layer over the mixture of sulphuric acid and oil is clear. The mixture of oil, acid and alcohol is slightly turbid or nearly clear with oils of valerian, peppermint and field thyme. With most of the other volatile oils occurring in commerce, the mixture is more or less milky turbid. ”

“ Silver salts also give a black precipitate of silver sulphide with sulphuretted hydrogen. By simply moistening the hair with silver solution they become brown to brown-black, the coloration appearing more rapidly by previously treating the hair with pyrogallic acid, or, after the application of the silver solution, with sulphydrate of sodium or potassium. The colorations produced with nitrate of silver are very durable, but, if not dyed again for some time, the hair acquires a greenish or reddish color, this being especially the case if they were not sufficiently freed from fat before dyeing. ”

“ But, independent of the savage races, who consider painting and tattooing the body and face an embellishment, and taking into consideration only the earliest civilized nations, it is astonishing how many arts of the toilet have been preserved from the most ancient historical times up to the present. "In the most ancient historical times, people perfumed and painted, frizzed, curled, and dyed the hair as at present, and, in fact, the same cosmetics, only slightly augmented, which were in use hundreds, nay, thousands, of years ago are still employed to-day." ”

“ In Kazanlik two varieties of roses, known as the "white rose" and "red rose," are cultivated; the former being Rosa alba, L., and the latter Rosa damascena, Miller. By distillation the white rose yields an oil of little perfume, but rich in stearoptene. On account of its slight odor, the white rose is seldom distilled by itself, but occasionally white and red roses are mixed in order to obtain an oil rich in stearoptene, so that a fraudulent admixture of a larger quantity of geranium oil may be effected without great danger of detection. ”

“ The capacity of congealing at certain conditions of temperature, is, to be sure, also a requirement of genuine rose oil, but, as previously mentioned, this property varies very much, and is subject to different influences, so that a fixed standard at which pure rose oil must congeal cannot be established. Attention must, however, be called to the fact that the quality of a rose oil does by no means rise with its greater capacity to congeal, since only the liquid oxygenated portion possesses odor. ”

“ When exposed to the air in a thick layer it does not completely dry, and in a thin layer only after considerable time; but when pressed with the finger always shows a certain stickiness. It is partially soluble in spirits of wine, yielding with it a more or less turbid solution. It is also incompletely soluble in oil of turpentine, benzine, petroleum-ether, and chloroform. Viewed under the microscope liquid storax appears as a colorless thickish fluid, intermingled with larger and smaller drops, fragments of bark tissue, and now and then, perhaps, with crystals of styracin and cinnamic acid. ”

“ All the iron salts, with the exception of the chloride, may be used for dyeing the hair. Soluble iron salts by themselves make the hair somewhat darker, but this slow, natural process is not relied on, and a second substance forming dark colored combinations with the iron, such as sulphur, tannin, or pyrogallic acid, is, as a rule, employed. To this class belongs a Turkish hair dye, which, according to X. Landerer, is prepared as follows: Gall-nuts converted to a fine powder are mixed with oil and roasted in a pan until no more empyreumatic vapors and odor are evolved. ”

“ A certain quantity of fat is placed in an enameled iron or porcelain pan provided with a water or steam bath. When the fat is melted, the freshly gathered flowers from which the aroma is to be extracted are thrown in and left to digest for from twelve to twenty-four hours, the fat being kept fluid and stirred frequently. When the flowers are completely exhausted, the fat is strained from them into fresh pots, in which it is again macerated with fresh flowers as before. ”

“ Oil of lavender is frequently adulterated, chiefly with alcohol, fat oils, oil of turpentine, and spike oil. To test the oil, mix a drop of it with 10 cubic centimeters of warm water, and test the odor, which should be pure and agreeably lavender-like. The taste of the vigorously agitated water should be transiently bitter aromatic. One volume of the oil should give a turbid mixture with one volume of dilute alcohol (specific gravity 0.895) , but a perfectly clear one with three volumes. ”

“ Freshly-distilled neroli oil should never be used, it acquiring its proper aroma only after being stored for about 2 years; on the other hand, it should not be too old. When 6 to 8 years old, it shows a tendency to rancidity, which can, however, be prevented by mixing it at the proper time with an equal quantity of alcohol of the best quality. Petit-grain oil is apt to spoil when kept for several years, and hence it is not advisable to have too large a supply of it on hand. ”

“ It is evident that such a valuable product as rose oil is much subjected to adulteration, it being even said that oils containing scarcely 10 per cent. of genuine rose oil occur in the market. The chief adulterant used by the Bulgarians is the so-called geranium oil, but actually ginger-grass oil derived from India, which is brought by way of Arabia to Constantinople, and prepared for the purpose of adulterating rose oil by treatment with lemon juice and bleaching in the sun. ”

“ The ether, being freed from acetic acid and alcohol by neutralization and washing, is brought in contact with fused calcium chloride to free it from water, and finally rectified over magnesia. In this manner 36 to 37 lbs. of pure acetic ether are obtained.
Acetic ether is a clear, colorless fluid of a pleasant, etheral odor. It boils at 170.6° F., and at 59° F. its specific gravity is 0.9068. Pure acetic ether dissolves in 11 to 12 parts of water; a content of alcohol or the addition of water increases its solubility. Hence, its solubility in water is a criterion of its purity. ”