Perfumes and their preparation

by George William Askinson

A = Peach.	I = Apple.
B = Apricot.	J = Grape.
C = Plum.	K = Gooseberry.
D = Cherry.	L = Raspberry.
E = Black Cherry.	M = Strawberry.
F = Lemon.	N = Melon.
G = Pear.	O = Pine-apple.
H = Orange.

		A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H	I	J	K	L	M	N	O
Glycerin		5	4	8	3	..	5	10	10	1	2	..	..	..	..	1
Chloroform		..	1	..	..	..	1	..	2	1	..	..	1	1	..	..
Nitrous ether		..	..	..	..	..	1	..	..	2	2	1	1	..	2	1
Aldehyde		2	..	5	..	..	2	..	2	1	..	5	5	5	..	..
Acetate of ethyl		5	..	5	5	10	10	5	5	..	2	..	1	1	1	..
Formate of ethyl		5	..	1	..	..	..	..	1	..	..	..	1	5	4	5
Butyrate of ethyl		5	10	2	..	..	..	..	1	..	..	..	..	..	5	..
Valerianate of ethyl		5	5	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	1	1	..	..	..
Benzoate of ethyl		..	..	..	5	5	..	..	1	..	10	1	1	..	..	..
Œnanthate of ethyl		5	1	4	1	2	..	..	..	..	1	..	1	1	..	..
Salicylate of methyl		2	2	..	..	..	..	..	1	..	..	..	1	..	10	..
Sebacic acid		1	..	..	..	..	..	10	..	..	..	..	1	3	..	10
Acetate of amyl		..	..	..	..	..	..	..	10	10	..	..	..	2	..	..
Butyrate of amyl		..	1	..	..	..	10	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..
Valerianate of amyl		..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	5	5	..	..	..
Essence of orange		..	..	..	..	..	10	..	10	1	5	..	..	..	..	..
Alcohol, solutions saturated in the cold of	Tartaric acid	..	..	..	..	1	..	..	1	..	..	1	1	..	..	..
	Oxalic acid	..	1	..	..	..	1	..	..	..	3	1	..	..	..	..
	Succinic acid	..	..	..	1	2	..	..	..	..	..	..	1	..	..	..
	Benzoic acid	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	..	1	..	..

Glycerin.

This substance, which may be called a true cosmetic in itself, as it possesses marked solvent power for cutaneous coloring matters and at the same time imparts to the skin delicacy and flexibility, is at present to be had commercially in great purity. Pure glycerin is a brilliant, colorless, and odorless substance of the consistence of a thick syrup, which mixes with water and alcohol in all proportions and has a slightly warm but very sweet taste. It readily absorbs aromatic substances and is used in many valued toilet articles in combination with fats and perfumes. Recently we have succeeded in using glycerin most successfully for the extraction of aromatic substances.

Oil of Mirbane,

also called artificial oil of bitter almonds, nitrobenzol, and essence of mirbane. This substance, which is now largely used in perfumery and soap manufacture, is obtained by the action of fuming nitric acid on benzol. The mixture becomes hot and emits masses of brown vapors, and there is formed a yellow oily body which is washed with water and soda solution until the washings escape colorless. Pure nitrobenzol is not soluble in water, but in alcohol or ether, boils at 213° C. (415° F.), and congeals at-5 to 6° C. (21-23° F.). Its spec. grav. is 1·2 or a little over. Any oil of mirbane having a lower specific gravity than 1·2 at 15° C. (59° F.) is spurious, most likely nitrotoluol. Its odor greatly resembles that of oil of bitter almonds, but can be clearly differentiated from it on comparison. Care must be taken in inhaling the vapor when undiluted, as it is poisonous. By distillation nitrobenzol can be obtained quite colorless, and in this form is often used for the adulteration of genuine oil of bitter almonds. This adulteration, however, can be easily demonstrated by heating for a short time with an alcoholic solution of a caustic alkali which separates from nitrobenzol a brown resinous substance, while true oil of bitter almonds loses its odor and changes into benzoic acid which unites with the alkali.

Paraffin.

This substance is one of the products of the distillation of petroleum, coal, peat, and other carbonaceous sources. It is a crystalline, brittle body, closely resembling wax in appearance and melting between 51 and 60° C. (124 and 140° F.). Paraffin, which is now made on a large scale for the manufacture of candles, is very useful in perfumery as a partial substitute for the much more expensive wax or spermaceti, over which it has the advantage, besides its cheapness, that it imparts to the articles great transparency—a quality which is valued highly in fine perfumeries. The addition of some paraffin to pomades renders them more consistent and counteracts their tendency to become rancid. Distilled paraffin always has a crystalline form, differing from the paraffin-like residues left after the distillation of petroleum (so-called vaselins, etc., see below) which are always amorphous.

Pyrogallic Acid

appears in commerce as a white crystalline powder, made by heating gallic acid to 200-210° C. (392-410° F.). With iron salts, pyrogallic acid forms bluish-black combinations and precipitates the metal from silver solutions as a velvety-black powder. On account of these properties pyrogallic acid is used in perfumery as a constituent of some hair dyes.