POMEGRAN′ATE. The Tunica granatum (Linn.), a small tree indigenous in Persia and the East. Fruit (POMEGRANATE; GRANATA, MALA PUNICA) is cooling and astringent; fruit-rind (POMEGRANATE PEEL; MATACORIUM, CORTEX GRANATI; GRANATUM—Ph. L.) and root-bark (GRANATI RADIX—B. P., Ph. L., E., & D.) are powerfully astringent, detersive, and anthelmintic; the last more particularly so. The double flowers of the wild tree (BALAUSTINES; BALAUSTIÆ), as well as those of the cultivated one (CYTINI), are tonic and astringent.—Dose, 15 to 20 gr. of the root-bark, repeated every 30 or 40 minutes, until four doses have been taken, followed by castor oil; in tapeworm. As an astringent, all the parts described are commonly given under the form of decoction.
POMMADE. [Fr.] The term applied by Continental perfumers to any soft fragrant ointment (POMATUM).
In the preparation of pommades one of the first objects of consideration is to obtain their fatty basis in as fresh and pure a state as possible. Lard, beef, and mutton suet, beef marrow, veal fat, and bear’s fat, are the substances commonly employed for this purpose, either singly or in mixtures of two or more of them. The fat, carefully selected from a young and healthy animal, after being separated from extraneous skin and fibre, is pounded in a marble mortar, in the cold, until all the membranes are completely torn asunder. It is next placed in a covered porcelain or polished metal pan, and submitted to the heat of a water bath, which is continued until its fatty portion has liquefied, and the albuminous and aqueous matter, and other foreign substances, have completely separated and subsided. The liquid fat is then carefully skimmed, and at once passed through a clean flannel filter. In this state it may be aromatised or perfumed at will; after which, when it is intended that the pommade should be opaque and white, it is
assiduously stirred or beaten with a glass or wooden knife, or spatula, until it concretes; but when it is desired that it should appear transparent or crystalline, it is allowed to cool very slowly, and without being disturbed. To prevent the accession of rancidity, a little benzoic acid, gum benzoin, or nitric ether may be added to the fat, whilst in the liquid state, as noticed under Fat and Ointment. Sometimes a small portion of white wax or beeswax (according to the intended colour of the product) is melted with the fat to increase its solidity. Some parties employ a few grains of powdered citric acid per ounce, in a like manner, with the intention of increasing the whiteness of the compound; but the practice is not to be commended, as pommades so prepared prove injurious to the hair.
The French perfumers, who are celebrated for the variety and excellence of their pommades, divide them into four classes:—
1. Pommades by infusion. These are made by gently melting in a clean pan, over a water bath, 2 parts of hog’s lard, and 1 part of beef suet (both of the finest quality, and carefully ‘rendered’), and adding thereto one part of the given flowers, previously carefully picked and separated from foreign matter; or, if the odorous substance is a solid, then coarsely bruised, but not reduced to fine powder. The mixture is next digested at a very gentle heat for from 12 to 24 hours, with occasional stirring, the vessel being kept covered as much as possible during the whole time. The next day the mixture is reheated, and again well stirred for a short time, after which it is poured into canvas bags, and these, being securely tied, are submitted to powerful pressure, gradually increased, in a screw or barrel press. This operation is repeated with the same fat and fresh flowers, several times, until the pommade is sufficiently perfumed. A good pommade requires thrice to six times its weight in flowers to be thus consumed; or of the aromatic barks and seeds a corresponding proportion. The pommades of cassia, orange flowers, and several others kept by the French perfumers, are prepared in this manner.
2. Pommades by contact (ENFLEURAGE). These are made by spreading, with a palette knife, simple pommade (made with lard and suet as above) on panes of glass or pewter plates, to the thickness of a finger, and sticking the surface all over with the sweet-scented flowers. These last are renewed daily for one, two, or three months, or until the pommade has become sufficiently perfumed. On the large scale, the panes are placed in small shallow frames, made of four pieces of wood nicely fitted together, and are then closely piled one upon another. On the small scale, pewter plates are generally used, and they are inverted one over the other. In some of the perfumeries of France many thousands of frames are employed at once. The pommades of jasmin, jonquil, orange flowers, narcissus,
tuberose, violet, and of some other delicate flowers, are prepared in this manner.
3. Pommades by addition. These are prepared by simply adding the fragrant essences or essential oils, in the required quantity, to the simple pommade of lard and suet to produce the proper odour. In this way the pommades of bergamotte, cédrat, cinnamon, lemons, lemon thyme, lavender, limettes, marjoram, Portugal roses, rosemary, thyme, verbena, and about 40 others kept by the Parisian perfumers, are made.
4. Mixed pommades. Of these a great variety exists, prepared by the addition of judicious combinations of the more esteemed perfumes to simple pommade; or, by the admixture of the different perfumed pommades, whilst in the semi-liquid state. (See below.)