The next best pearl powder is made as follows:—
Take 4 ounces of the best magistery of bismuth,
2 ounces of fine starch powder.
Mix them well together, and put them into a subsiding glass, wide at top and narrow at bottom; pour over them a pint and a half of proof spirit, and shake them well; let them remain a day or two. When the powder falls to the bottom, pour off the spirit, leaving it dry; then place the glass in the sun, to evaporate the moisture.
Next turn out the white mass, the dirty parts of which form the top, whilst the pure ingredients remain at the bottom. If there be any dirty particles, scrape them off, and again pulverize the remaining part of the cake, and pour more proof spirit over it. Proceed as before; and, if there be any moisture remaining, place the cone on a large piece of smooth chalk, to absorb its moisture.
Cover the whole with a bell-glass, to preserve it from dust, and set it in the sun to dry and whiten it. Next grind the mass with a muller on a marble stone, and keep the powder in a glass bottle, secured, by a ground stopper, from air.
289. ORANGE FLOWER PASTE, FOR THE HANDS.
Blanch 5 or 6 pounds of bitter almonds, by boiling in water, and then beat them very fine in a marble mortar, with 2 pounds of orange flowers. If the paste be too oily, add to it some bean flour, finely sifted, but let no water enter the composition.
This paste is made abroad, but comes here very damaged, the sea-air destroying its properties.
290. CORAL TOOTH POWDER.
Take 4 ounces of coral, reduced to an impalpable powder,
8 ounces of very light Armenian bole,
1 ounce of Portugal snuff,
1 ounce of Havannah snuff,
1 ounce of good burnt tobacco ashes, and
1 ounce of gum myrrh, well pulverized.