Oil, Watchmaker’s. Prepared by placing a clean strip or coil of lead in a small white-glass bottle filled with pure almond or olive oil, and exposing it to the sun’s rays at a window for some time till a curdy matter ceases to be deposited, and the oil has become quite limpid and colourless. Used for fine work; does not become thick by age.
Oil, Wedell’s. Syn. Bezoar oil; Oleum bezoardicum, L. From nut oil, 1⁄4 pint; camphor, 1⁄2 oz.; dissolve by a gentle heat, and, when cold, add of essence of bergamot, 1 dr., and let it stand over a little alkanet root until sufficiently coloured.
Oils, White. Syn. White egg-oils. Prep. 1. Yolks of eggs, 4 in number; oil of turpentine, 1⁄4 pint; mix, add of liquor of ammonia, 3 fl. oz.; oil of origanum, 1⁄2 oz.; soaper’s lye, 1⁄4 pint; water, 3⁄4 pint; agitate well, and strain through a coarse hair sieve.
2. Rape oil, 3⁄4 pint; liquor of ammonia and oil of turpentine, of each 3 oz.; agitate until they form a milk.
3. (Redwood.) Whites and yolks of 2 eggs; oil of turpentine, 11⁄2 oz.; triturate together, add of Goulard’s extract, 1⁄2 oz; mix, next add of distilled vinegar, 11⁄2 pint, and, lastly, of rectified spirit, 11⁄2 fl. oz. Stimulant and detergent. Used by farriers.
Oil, Worm (Canine). Syn. Oleum vermifugum caninum. Prep. From oil of turpentine and castor oil, equal parts; tinged yellow with a little palm oil or annotta.—Dose. For a middle-sized dog, 1⁄2 oz., repeated in 2 or 3 hours if it does not operate.
OILS (in Perfumery). Syn. Scented oils; Olea fixa odorata, L. The oils which usually form the basis of these articles are those of almonds, ben, or olives; but others are occasionally used. The methods adopted for their preparation vary with the nature of the substances whose fragrance it is intended to convey to the oil. The Continental perfumers employ three different processes for
this purpose, which they technically distinguish by terms indicative of their nature. These are as under:—
1. A sufficient quantity of the essential oil of the plant, or of the concentrated essence of the substance, if it does not furnish an oil, is added to the fixed oil which it is desired to perfume, until the latter becomes agreeably fragrant; the whole is then allowed to repose for a few days, and, if any sediment falls (which should not be the case when the ingredients are pure), the clear portion is decanted into another bottle. When alcoholic essences are thus employed, the fixed oil should be gently warmed, and the admixture made in a strong bottle, so as to permit of it being corked and well agitated with safety; and in this case the agitation should be prolonged until the whole has become quite cold. In this way all the ordinary aromatised and perfumed oils of the English druggists and perfumers, as those of bergamotte, cassia, cloves, lavender, lemon, mille-fleurs, neroli, nutmeg, oranges, roses, &c., are made, but those of a few of the more delicate flowers, and of certain other substances, can only be prepared of the first quality by one or other of the processes described below.
In general, 1 to 11⁄2 dr. of the pure essential oil, or 3 to 4 fl. dr. of the alcoholic essences, are found sufficient to render 1 pint of oil agreeably fragrant, 1⁄2 dr. of pure attar of roses is, however, enough for this purpose, owing to the very powerful character of its perfume; but even a less quantity than this is commonly employed, on account of its costliness, the deficiency being made up by a mixture of the oils of rhodium, rosemary, and bergamotte. Most of the oils of this class are intended for hair cosmetics.