CHEMICAL SCIENCE. 329 



dity as to indicate that the odor and the savor it retained were far from being 



disagreeable to them. 



IX THE MANUFACTURE OF PERFUMES. 



It has been found that by treating wheat, or its farina, with ether, some 

 waxy or fatty matters arc dissolved, which arc more or less colored, and 

 almost always have a strong odor ; this aromatic principle is very persistent, 

 and may be spcognized in the fatty matter after the lapse of several years, 

 disappearing, however, whenever the fat becomes rancid. These facts have 

 been made the foundation of a process devised by M. Millon, a French chem- 

 ist, for the extraction of the aromatic principle of flowers and of some plants 

 peculiar to Algeria. 



To avoid the alterations which flowers undergo on drying, or distillation, 

 M. Millon separates the aromatic part by dissolving it in a very volatile 

 liquid which is afterwards expelled by distillation. With such a solvent, the 

 distillation is attended with no inconvenience, for it may be performed at a 

 low temperature ; M. Millon. finds that the perfume undergoes alteration 

 whenever a temperature is applied above that of the surrounding atmos- 

 phere. In some parts of Northern Africa, the thermometer reaches -(- 70 C. ; 

 he then employs with success the volatile solvents, such as sulphuret of car- 

 bon, ether, chloroform, word-spirit, the point of ebullition in which is below 

 this temperature. He has even succeeded with alcohol, whose point of ebul- 

 lition is above 70. 



The solvents which succeed best are ether and sulphuret of carbon. The 

 flowers arc put into the apparatus, and the ether then poured on so as to cover 

 it. In ten or fifteen minutes the liquid is run off and a new quantity of ether 

 introduced to wash out what is lefc ; this remains as long as the first. The 

 ether dissolves all the perfume and deposits it again on distillation in the form 

 of variously colored residue, sometimes solid, sometimes oily or semi-fluid, 

 vet becoming solid after some time. This residue, when obtained in a thin 



/ 



layer, is fused by the solar heat or an equivalent temperature, and resoftened 

 frequently until it exhales no longer the odor of the solvent. 



The solvent, ether or sulphuret of carbon, should have been previously 

 purified with the greatest care. That derived from the distillation may be 

 used indefinitely, provided it is for the same flower and apparatus. Properly 

 managed there is but very little loss of the solvent and the distillation is 

 rapidly performed, much more rapidly and with a larger amount of leaves 

 and flowers than by the ordinary method of distillation. But the gathering 

 of the flowers should be done at the proper time of day for each flower. 

 Thus the carnation gives off its perfume after an exposure of two or three 

 hours to the sun. Roses, on the contrary, should be collected in the morn- 

 ing as soon as well open ; the Jasmine before sunrise. 



In the distillation, as hitherto earned on, all t'.ie modifications of the flow- 

 ers are mixed in one and the same essence, which corresponds to no one of 

 them, the better portion partly correcting the rest. But with the Millon 

 process, the slightest alteration is apparent in the perfume, and in order to 



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