Dr. Cutbush on the Chinese Fire, &c. 183 
328, may be seen the account of M. Brillat Savarin’s irrora- 
‘eur, for scenting apartments. 
The vases of seent, so much in use among the Greeks and 
Romans, were nothing more than earthen vessels, which 
contained a certain composition that was set on fire. A 
modern preparation of this kind is as follows + 
Storax, - - - - - 4 0z. 
Benzoin, - - - - - 4do. 
Frankincense, - . . - 4do. 
Camphor, - - - - ~ 2 do. 
"4 - - 1 do, 
Charcoal of willow, - - - - 1 do.* 
Other compositions, with regard to the additions made 
to gun powder. or to a mixture of nitre, charcoal and sul- 
phur, in the formation of serpents, crackers, stars, 
candles, rocket stars, variously coloured fire rains, white, 
blue, and yellow illumination port fires, &c. show that the 
our and appearance of flame may be modified, with al- 
Most-as many variations as the mixture of pigments employ- 
ed by the painter. 
Before concluding this subject, however, we may add, 
that the so called Bengal lights, although in some recipes 
orpiment is added, pwe their particular character to the 
Presence of antimony. The preparation was kept secret 
for some time. The true formula is the following: 
Salt-petre, -  -  3tbs. 0 oz. Odr. 
Suiphury) o!!o) - ,aemeQ@e 4083, %, 4° 
Antimony (the sulphuret,)}0 “ 7% 4 ‘ 
The salt-petre and antimony are reduced to fine pow- 
» then mixed with the flowers of sulphur, and the mix- 
ture passed through a sieve. ‘This composition is not used 
in cases, but is put into earthen vessels,usually shallow, and 
as broad as they are high. A small quantity of meal pow- 
ig the Vestal Fire of the Romans, in honor of the Goddess Vesta, was 0 
‘at : : it was wal 
by’ pete but if by carelessness they suffered the fire 
to go out, they were severely. panished, and in the inerin. business wae 
