PERFUMES OF THE ROSE. 41 



posed to the freshness of the night, and in the morning a very 

 small quantity of attar is found collected on the surface. 



Dr. Monro, according to Loudon, gives the manner of making 

 the attar in Cashmere, which is apparently more simple, without 

 the tedious process of distilling. 



" The rose-petals are put into a wooden vessel with pure water, 

 and exposed for several days to the heat of the sun. The oily 

 particles being disengaged by the heat, float upon the surface of 

 the water, whence they are taken up from time to time, by ap- 

 plying to them some very fine dry cotton wool. From this wool 

 the oil is pressed into little bottles, which are immediately after- 

 wards sealed hermetically." 



Another method is, exposing the rose water to strong heat, 

 then suddenly cooling it, and collecting the drops of congealed 

 oil which float upon the surface. 



Bishop Heber describes the method used in India, which is very 

 similar to that of Langles. The attar has the consistency of 

 butter, and never becomes liquid except in the warmest weather. 



Loudon states that " a wretched substitute for otto of roses, is 

 said to be formed by the apothecaries of Paris. The petals of 

 Rosa damascena are boiled in a large caldron of water, along 

 with as much hog's lard as will cover its surface with a thin 

 stratum of grease. The oil of the rose-petals, on separating from 

 them by boiling, unites with this grease, from which it is again 

 separated by spirits of wine." A large portion of the attar im- 

 ported into the United States is probably of this manufacture ; 

 and the corn-fed animals of the West yield a part of their unctu- 

 ous bodies to be sent to France, and returned to us in a shape fit 

 for the lady's handkerchief or boudoir. 



The quantity of genuine attar produced from a given weight 

 of rose-petals is not always the same ; it is very liable to vary 

 according to the nature of the climate, the temperature of differ- 

 ent seasons, the period of bloom at which the roses are picked, 

 the process of manufacture, and the skill of the manufacturers. 

 Generally a hundred pounds of roses will scarcely produce a 

 drachm of attar, sometimes only half a drachm, and at others a 



4* 



