As Spanish Snuff is very fine and of a reddish colour, to imitate it nicely, take the best Dutch Snuff, well cleansed, granulated, and coloured red; beat it fine, and sift it through a very fine lawn sieve. After it has been cleansed according to the foregoing directions, it is fit to take any scent whatever.
There is no risk in using a sieve that retains the scent of any Flower, to perfume your Snuff with the flavour of Musk, Ambergrise, or any other Perfume. On the contrary, the Snuff receives the Perfume the more readily, and preserves its flavour the longer on that account.
322. Method of dying Snuff Red or Yellow.
Take the size of a nut or two of Yellow or Red Ochre, and to temper the colour mix with it a little White Chalk. Grind these colours on a marble, with a little less than half an ounce of Oil of Sweet Almonds, and moisten with as much Water as the colour will take up, till it becomes a smooth Paste. Then mix it with a thin Mucilage of Gum Tragacanth to a proper consistence, and put it into an earthen dish, stirring into it about a pint more of Water. Afterwards take any quantity of cleansed Snuff you please, throw it upon the colour, and rub it well between your hands. When the Paste is thoroughly tinged with the colour, leave it till next morning to settle, then spread it thin on a cloth to dry, and place it in the sun, stirring it about every now and then that it may dry equally. When dry, gum it with a very thin Mucilage of Gum Tragacanth made with some sweet-scented Water. To gum the Snuff as equally as possible, wet the palms of your hands with this Gum Water, and rub the Snuff well between them. Afterwards dry it in the sun, and sift the colour that does not adhere to it through a very fine sieve. The Snuff is then properly prepared to receive any flavour you choose.
Take Sweet Marjoram, Marum Syriacum Leaves, and Lavender Flowers dried, of each half an ounce, Asarabacca Leaves, a drachm. Rub them all into a powder.
Take Betony Leaves and Marjoram, of each half an ounce; Asarabacca Leaves, a drachm. Beat them together into a powder.