206 PHILIPPINE RESINS, GUMS, AND OILS 



used in preparing the best handkerchief bouquets and hair 

 pomades. When diluted with other odors it imparts to the 

 whole a true flowery fragrance. 



The essential oil obtained from the flowers of Acacia farne- 

 siana is greenish yellow and viscid. This oil itself is never sold 

 commercially, but is mixed with other substances and sold as 

 perfumes, fixed oils, pomades, or extract of cassie. 



Cassie perfume is prepared as a pomade by macerating the 

 flower heads and placing the crushed material in purified melted 

 fat where it is allowed to remain several hours. As many fiowers 

 are used as the fluid grease will cover. The spent flowers are 

 next removed and replaced by fresh ones. This operation is 

 continued until the grease has acquired a sufficient richness of 

 perfume. Eight or ten treatments are usually necessary. The 

 melted fat is then strained and cooled. This preparation, which 

 is simply a solution of the true essential oil of cassie flowers 

 in a neutral fat, is the commercial cassie pomade. More modern 

 methods of preparing pomades such as that of cassie are de- 

 scribed by Askinson.* 



Extract of cassie is prepared by treating six pounds of cassie 

 pomade, which is cut into small pieces, with one gallon of al- 

 cohol. Askinson * uses four pounds of cassie pomade to one 

 gallon of alcohol. The alcoholic solution of the pomade is placed 

 in securely stoppered bottles and allowed to remain three or four 

 weeks at summer heat. The perfume which the fat contains 

 is dissolved out by the alcohol. The mixture is then filtered. 

 The residue of fat still contains some perfume and serves as 

 an excellent material for the manufacture of hair dressing. The 

 extract of cassie prepared in this manner has a fine olive-green 

 color and the rich flowery odor of the cassie blossoms. It should 

 be preserved in tightly stoppered bottles in a cool, dark place. 

 This is necessary, as under the influence of light, heat, and air, 

 the delightful odors of perfumes are gradually destroyed. 



Cassie perfume may also be prepared by distilling the flowers 

 and dissolving the essential oil thus obtained in alcohol. This 

 method of preparation gives, however, an inferior product, which 

 does not have the true, natural scent of the flowers. Usually, 

 when the active odorous principle of the flower exists in un- 

 usually minute quantities as in such flowers as cassie, violet, 

 and jasmine, a better grade of perfume is obtained by making 

 a pomade, rather than by distilling. 



* Askinson, G. W., Perfumes and cosmetics, (1915). 



