536 



PERFUMERY 



1613 



each side of the glass with a spatula or palate-knife. The gathered blossoms are then 

 hand-sprinkled or broad-cast over the grease in one frame, and another frame is put 



over it so as to enclose the flowers. This 

 operation is repeated as many times as there 

 are flowers to spread over each. These frames 

 are termed C'kdsse, which literally means 

 ' Sash." Now we are all familiar with window- 

 sashes that is, a glass with a frame round 

 it and such is in truth the Chasse used in 

 the enfleurage process. Doubtless our window- 

 'sash' is derived from the French. Chasse 

 may also be rendered in English, 'a frame.' 

 Enfleurage, then, is conducted upon a glass 

 frame or sash. About every other day, or 

 every third day, the spent flowers being thrown 

 away, fresh ones are placed upon the grease ; 

 this manipulation being repeated so long as 

 the plants yield blossoms, a time that varies 

 from 1 to 2 months. After every addition 

 of flowers, it will be observed that the grease 

 increases in the fragrance of the flower with 

 which it was sprinkled, and this continues till 

 the enfleurage is complete, at which time the 

 grease, now called 'Pomade,' is scraped off the 

 sashes, put into vessels, then placed in hot 

 water a water-bath. By so doing the pomade 

 is liquefied, but is not made hot enough to de- 

 stroy its odour. By this treatment various 

 extraneous matters, such as a few anthers of 

 flowers, a stray bee, some pistils or loose part 

 of the corolla, a wayward butterfly and moth, 

 and such similar things, are removed, by pour- 

 ing the clear pomade into the canisters through 

 fine linen. When the pomade is cold enough 

 it sets in these vessels, and is then fit for exportation or for ulterior uses. Fig, 1614 

 represents a pile of chasse. 



3. MACERATION. In some few instances better results are obtained by adopting 

 the process of maceration, which consists in infusing the fresh flowers in liquefied 

 grease. For this purpose, the purified grease is placed in a hot water-bath, that is, 

 the vessel containing the grease is set in another of a larger size, in which water is 

 kept warmed over a stove. In the French laboratories, this apparatus is known as 

 the bain marie, salt being put into the water to increase its boiling-point. Every 

 time fresh flowers are gathered, the spent ones are strained away, and the fresh 

 flowers put into the partially-scented grease. In a few instances it is found advan- 

 tageous to begin perfuming the grease by maceration, and to finally finish it by enfleur- 

 age ; this is especially the case with violet pomade. 



After the maceration is completed, that is, when there are no more flowers to be 

 had, the grease must be kept steadily at a uniform degree of liquefaction, in order that 

 friable portions of the flowers, &c., may subside, so that the fair pomade can be sepa- 

 rated therefrom pure and unsullied. Oils are scented by enfleurage and maceration 

 processes by a slight difference of mechanical arrangement. Thus, the sash, in lieu of 

 glass, contains a wire-gauze, like a coarse wire-blind (chasse enjer) ; upon this gauze 

 is laid a thick piece of fustian-like cotton fabric (molleton du colon), which has pre- 

 viously been steeped in the purest olive oil. Upon each molleton laid in the sash- 

 frame the flowers are sprinkled in the same way as if it were for pomade, and the 

 flowers are changed as often as possible. When the plants cease to bloom, each 

 molleton is wrapped in a strong cord net, and placed in a hydraulic or other press, 

 for the purpose of squeezing the fragrant oil away from it. Oils of tuberose, rose, 

 violet, jonquil, acacia, and orange are thus prepared. 



According to the length of time the enfleurage process occupies, and the quantity 

 of flowers employed over the same grease, the pomade or oil bears numbers respec- 

 tively. Thus we have No. 12 pomade, No. 18 oil, No. 24 pomade, indicating their 

 relative strength of fragrance ; that is, the quantity of flowers employed in their 

 manufacture. 



(D.) SCENTED SPIRITS are produced by four separate plans : 

 1. By distilling alcohol with an otto, such as lavender otto, to produce spirit of 

 lavender. For this purpose, and to produce the finest distillate, take 



