Perfumes and their preparation

by George William Askinson

The quantities of essential oil obtainable from the vegetable substances vary with the amount present in each. The following table shows the average quantities of oil to be obtained from 100 parts of material.

Material.	Name of Plant.	Mean Yield per 100 Parts.
Ajowan seed	Ptychotis Ajowan	3·000
Alant root	Inula Helenium	0·600
Allspice	Myrtus Pimenta	3·500
Almonds, bitter	Amygdala amara	0·400-0·700
Angelica seed	Archangelica officinalis	1·150
Angelica root, Thuring.	Archangelica officinalis	0·750
Angelica root, Saxon	Archangelica officinalis	1·000
Anise seed, Russian	Pimpinella Anisum	2·800
Anise seed, Thuring.	Pimpinella Anisum	2·400
Anise seed, Morav.	Pimpinella Anisum	2·600
Anise seed, Chili	Pimpinella Anisum	2·400
Anise seed, Spanish	Pimpinella Anisum	3·000
Anise seed, Levant	Pimpinella Anisum	1·300
Anise chaff	Pimpinella Anisum	0·666
Arnica flowers	Arnica montana	0·040
Arnica root	Arnica montana	1·100
Asafœtida	Ferula Asafœtida	3·250
Avens root	Geum urbanum	0·040
Basilicum herb, fresh	Ocymum basilicum	0·040
Bay leaves	Pimenta acris	2·300-2·600
Bear’s berry	Uva ursi	1·010
Beech tar	Betula alba	20·000
Bergamots		ab. 3·400
Betel leaves	Piper Betle	0·550
Bitter almond meal	Amygdala amara	0·950
Buchu leaves	Barosma crenulata	2·600
Butter-bur oil	Tussilago Petasites	0·056
Calamus root	Acorus Calamus	2·800
Camomile, German	Matricaria Chamomilla	4·000-6·000
Camomile, Roman	Anthemis nobilis	3·000
Caraway seed,
Cult. German	Carum Carvi	4·000
Cult. Dutch	Carum Carvi	5·500
Cult. East Prussian	Carum Carvi	5·000
Cult. Moravian	Carum Carvi	5·000
Wild German	Carum Carvi	6·000-7·000
Wild Norwegian	Carum Carvi	6·000-6·500
Wild Russian	Carum Carvi	3·000
Cardamoms, Ceylon	Elettaria Cardamomum	4·250
Cardamoms, Madras	Elettaria Cardamomum	4·300
Cardamoms, Malabar	Elettaria Cardamomum	1·750
Cardamoms, Siam	Elettaria Cardamomum	1·350
Carrot seed	Daucus Carota	1·650
Cascarilla bark	Croton Eluteria	1·500
Cassia flowers	Cinnamomum Cassia	3·500
Cassia wood	Cinnamomum Cassia	0·285
Cedar wood	Juniperus virginianus	0·700-1·000
Celery herb	Apium graveolens	0·200
Celery seed	Apium graveolens	0·300
Chekan leaves	Myrtus Chekan	1·000
Cinnamon, Ceylon	Cinnamomum zeylanicum	0·900-1·250
Cinnamon, white	Canella alba	1·000
Cloves, Amboina	Caryophyllus aromaticus	19·000
Cloves, Bourbon	Caryophyllus aromaticus	18·000
Cloves, Zanzibar	Caryophyllus aromaticus	17·500
Cloves, stems	Caryophyllus aromaticus	6·000
Common wormwood herb	Artemisia Abrotanum	0.040
Common wormwood root	Artemisia Abrotanum	0·100
Copaiva balsam, Para	Copaifera officinalis	45·000
Copaiva balsam, East Ind.	Dipterocarpus turbinatus	65·000
Coriander seed,
Thuringian	Coriandrum sativum	0·800
Russian	Coriandrum sativum	0·900
Dutch	Coriandrum sativum	0·600
East Indian	Coriandrum sativum	0·150
Italian	Coriandrum sativum	0·700
Mogadore	Coriandrum sativum	0·600
Crisp mint herb	Mentha crispa	1·000
Cubebs	Piper Cubeba	12·000-16·000
Culilaban bark	Laurus Culilavan	3·400
Cumin seed, Mogadore	Cuminum Cyminum	3·000
Cumin seed, Maltese	Cuminum Cyminum	3·900
Cumin seed, Syrian	Cuminum Cyminum	4·200
Cumin seed, East Indian	Cuminum Cyminum	2·250
Curcuma root	Curcuma longa	5·200
Dill seed, German	Anethum graveolens	3·800
Dill seed, Russian	Anethum graveolens	4·000
Dill seed, East Indian	Anethum Sowa	2·000
Elder flowers	Sambucus niger	0·025
Elemi resin	Icica Abilo	17·000
Eucalyptus leaves, dry	Eucalyptus globulus	3·000
Fennel seed,
Saxon	Foeniculum vulgare	5·000-5·600
Galician	Foeniculum vulgare	6·000
East Indian	Foeniculum Panmorium	2·200
Galanga root	Alpinia Galanga	0·750
Galbanum resin	Galbanum officinale	6·500
Geranium	Pelargonium odoratissimum	0·115
Ginger root,
African	Zingiber officinale	2·600
Bengal	Zingiber officinale	2·000
Japan	Zingiber officinale	1·800
Cochin China	Zingiber officinale	1·900
Hazel root	Asarum europæum	1·100
Heracleum seed	Heracleum Sphondylium	1·000
Hop flowers	Humulus Lupulus	0·700
Hop meal, lupulin	Humulus Lupulus	2·250
Hyssop herb	Hyssopa officinalis	0·400
Iva herb	Iva moschata	0·400
Juniper berries,
German	Juniperus communis	0·500-0·700
Italian	Juniperus communis	1·100-1·200
Hungarian	Juniperus communis	1·000-1·100
Laurel berries	Laurus nobilis	1·000
Laurel leaves	Laurus nobilis	2·400
Laurel, Californian	Oreodaphne californica	7·600
Lavender flowers,
German	Lavandula vera	2·900
Linaloe wood	Elaphrium graveolens	5·000
Lovage root	Levisticum officinale	0·600
Mace	Myristica fragrans	11·000-16·000
Marjoram herb, fresh	Origanum Majorana	0·350
Marjoram herb, dry	Origanum Majorana	0·900
Marsh-rosemary oil	Ledum palustre	0·350
Massoy bark	Massoia aromatica
Masterwort root	Imperatoria Ostruthium	0·800
Matico leaves	Piper angustifolium	2·400
Matricaria herb	Matricaria Parthenium	0·030
Melissa herb	Melissa officinalis	0·100
Michelia bark	Michelia nilagirica	0·300
Milfoil herb	Achillea Millefolium	0·080
Musk seed	Hibiscus Abelmoschus	0·200
Mustard seed,
Dutch	Sinapis nigra	0·850
German	Sinapis nigra	0·750
East Indian	Sinapis nigra	0·590
Pugliese	Sinapis nigra	0·750
Russian	Sinapis juncea	0·500
Myrrh	Balsamodendron Myrrha	2·500-6·500
Myrtle	Myrtus communis	0·275
Nigella seed	Nigella sativa	0·300
Nutmegs	Myristica fragrans	8·000-10·000
Olibanum resin	Boswellia, var. spec	6·300
Opoponax resin	Pastinaca Opoponax	6·500
Orange peel, sweet	Citrus Aurantium	2·500
Orris root	Iris florentina	0·200
Parsley herb	Apium Petroselinum	0·300
Parsley seed	Apium Petroselinum	3·000
Parsnip seed	Pastinaca sativa	2·400
Patchouly herb	Pogostemon Patchouly	1·500-4·000
Peach kernels	Amygdalus persica	0·800-1·000
Pellitory root	Valeriana celtia	1·000
Pepper, black	Piper nigrum	2·200
Peppermint, fresh	Mentha piperita	0·300
Peppermint, dry	Mentha piperita	1·000-1·250
Peru balsam	Toluifera Pereiræ	0·400
Pimpernel root	Pimpinella saxifraga	0·025
Poplar sprouts	Populus niger	0·500
Rhodium wood	Convolvulus Scoparius	0·050
Rose flowers, fresh	Rosa centifolia	0·050
Rosemary	Rosmarinus officinalis	1·550
Rue herb	Ruta graveolens	0·180
Sage herb, German	Salvia officinalis	1·400
Sage herb, Italian	Salvia officinalis	1·700
Santal wood,
East Indian	Santalum album	4·500
Macassar	Santalum album	2·500
West Indian	Unknown	2·700
Sassafras wood	Sassafras officinalis	2·600
Savin herb	Juniperus Sabina	3·750
Snakeroot, Canadian	Asarum canadense	2·800-3·250
Snakeroot, Virginian	Aristolochia Serpentaria	2·000
Star-anise, Chinese	Illicium anisatum	5·000
Star-anise, Japanese	Illicium religiosum	1·000
Storax	Liquidambar orientalis	1·000
Sumbul root	Ferula Sumbul	0·300
Tansy herb	Tanacetum vulgare	0·150
Thyme	Thymus Serpyllum	0·200
Thyme dry	Thymus Serpyllum	0·100
Valerian root, German	Valeriana officinalis	0·950
Valerian root, Dutch	Valeriana officinalis	1·000
Valerian root, Japan	Patrinia scabiosæfolia
Vetiver root	Andropogon muricatus	0·200-0·350
Violet flowers	Viola odorata	0·030
Water-yarrow seed	Phellandrium aquaticum	1·300
Wintersweet marjoram	Origanum creticum	3·500
Worm seed	Artemisia maritima	2·000
Wormwood herb	Artemisia Absinthium	0·300-0·400
Zedoary root	Curcuma Zedoaria	1·300

Fresh flowers as a rule contain more aromatic material than wilted ones; the yield of dried herbs, leaves, etc., is usually greater than that of the fresh, because the latter contain much water which is lost in drying. When such vegetable materials cannot be worked fresh, which is best, they should be completely dried, spread on boards, at a moderate temperature in the shade and preserved in dry airy rooms, special care being had to guard against mould.

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[CHAPTER VIII.]
THE SPECIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF AROMATIC SUBSTANCES.

In a preceding chapter on the chemical properties of the vegetable substances many of their characteristics have been described. In this place we need only describe the physical properties of the essential oils, and with some of them to lay stress on those peculiarities by which they are specially differentiated. This knowledge is of the greatest importance to the manufacturer of perfumery because no single individual is in a position to prepare all aromatic substances himself, but must rely on commerce for some of them; and in no group of chemicals is adulteration as frequent and as difficult of demonstration as among the aromatics. These adulterations are carried so far that many essential oils occurring in commerce under certain names often have nothing in common with the substance for which they are sold but the name.

Oil of Cassie.

The oil of Acacia farnesiana is greenish-yellow and viscid; the density and boiling-point, which are of the greatest importance with reference to the genuineness of an essential oil, are not yet accurately known. Moreover, this oil never occurs in commerce as such, but its odor is present in perfumes, fixed oils, and pomades.

Oil of Anise

should be colorless or faintly yellow; a dark yellow color indicates old and inferior quality. The characteristics of this oil are the odor, its aromatic sweet taste, and especially the property of solidifying at a comparatively high temperature, 10-15° C. (50-59° F.), which is due to the separation of a stearopten, anethol. Oil of anise is frequently adulterated with or replaced by oil of star-anise. The easy solidification of the oil of anise is not always proof of its good quality, for the oil from anise chaff, which congeals at a still higher temperature, is sometimes mixed with it, and this has a less fine odor than that distilled from the seed. One part by weight of oil of anise is soluble in an equal weight of alcohol of 94%.