n o s 



it o a 



inltances, but constantly in federal. Its fragrance is im- 

 proved by drying ; and both the aftringency and the colour 

 of the petals are bell preferred by halty cxficcation. Its 

 flowers are chiefly valued for their altringent qualities which 

 are moft confiderable before the petals expand, and, there- 

 fore, in this Hate they are chofen for medicinal life, and 

 ordered by the pharmacopeias in different preparations, as 

 thole of a conferve, a honey, an infufion, and a fvrup. Thefe 

 preparations, efpecially the tirlt and fecond, have been highly 

 elteemcd in phthifical cafes, particularly by the Arabian phy- 

 ficians ; who mention fome in which they were effectual reme- 

 dies. The cafe of Kruger, related in the German Ephemeridcs, 

 has been thought a more evident proof of the efficacy of the 

 conferve of roles in phthifis pulmonalis ; but as the ule of the 

 conferve was commonly joined with that of milk and farina- 

 cea, together with proper exercife in the open air, it has 

 been doubted if thefe recoveries could be wholly imputed to 

 the rofes, though their mild aftringent and corroborant 

 virtues certainly contributed much. In fome of the cafes 

 above alluded to, 20 or 30 pounds of the conlerve were 

 taken in the courfe of a month. 



The Confed'io rofa gallictc, confeftion of the red rofes of 

 the Loud. Pharm. is prepared by beating a pound of the 

 unblown petals of the red rofe, treed from the claws, in a 

 ftone mortar, and adding three pounds of refined fugar, 

 and then beating again until the whole be thoroughly in- 

 corporated. The Edin. Pharm. directs the unblown petals 

 of the red rofe to be beaten to a pulp, and during the beat- 

 ing to add three times their weight of refined fugar. The 

 Conferva rofa:, or conlerve of rofes of the Dubl. Pharm. 

 is prepared by beating the unblown petals of the red rofe, 

 freed from their claws, and adding gradually three times their 

 weight of refined fugar. The confedtion of the red rofe 

 poflefles a fmall degree of aftringency, and is fometimes 

 given diffolved in new milk as a tonic in early convalefcence 

 from acute difcafes ; but its chief ufe is to form a pleafaiit 

 vehicle for more active medicines. 



Jllel Rofe, or rofe honey. See Honey. 



Ir.fufwn of Rofes. See INFUSION; 



Syrup of red rofes, Syrupus rofa galliot, is prepared, ac- 

 cording to the Edin. Pharm. by macerating feven ounces 

 of the dried petah; of the red role in d\c pounds of boiling 

 water for 12 hours, then boiling a little and draining ; and 

 adding fix pounds of rel I fugar to the itrained liquor, 

 and again boiling a little to as to form a fyrup. This 

 fyrup is a weak aftringent ; and as fuch is added to af- 

 tringent and ftomachic infulions and gargles : it is ufeful 

 in hawoptyfis and fome other hemorrhagic complaints as 

 a gargle, and its efficacy chiefly dependson the acid ; but it 

 is principal}' valued on account ot its flavour and colour. 

 Lewis Mat. Med. Woodville Med. Bot. Thomfon 

 Lond. Difp. 



ROSES, EJfence of. There is fcarcelv a more valuable 

 perfume in the world, than the eiTence of damalk rofes, and 

 tcarcely any thing is obtained from its iubject with more 

 difficulty, and in lels quantity. All cflences or effential 

 oils are, while in the plant, contained in certain velicles 

 din different parts, and of different itrucfure ; thefe 

 1 are tt\ the rofe particularly fmall and tender, and 

 are placed very fuperficialh ; the confequence of this is, that 

 ther nally but a very little of this efl'ence in the 



flower, and this is the very fubjecl thai will be diflipated 

 and loll when the Bov an tl 'red and thrown in a h p 

 together, as the) are fucculent, and very quickly heat in 

 lying together. To avoid all diffipation and walle of this 

 choice efl'ence, the rofes fliould be thrown into the itill as 

 foon as gathered, and diftilled with very little water, and 



that in a balneum Maria ; then the fire is to be continued 

 fo long as the flowers float feparate about in the water ; but 

 as foon as ever they form themfelves into a cake, and flick 

 to the bottom, the diffillation (hould be iiniflicd, as they 

 then yield no more efl'ence. With all thefe precautions, 

 . 1 r, it is with great difficulty we can procure any 

 ice of rofes. What we obtain by this diffillation being 

 chiefly a very odoriferous and fragrant water. In the 

 warmer countries the fame caution affords a larger quantity 

 ot oil, which may be feparated and preferred under the 

 name of the cffcncc. In Italy, they make fome quantity 

 of it, but there it is very dear ; a vait quantity of the 

 flowers yielding only a very little effence, and that being 

 thick and troublefome in the procuring, as it every where 

 flicks to the vcffels. 



It is to be obferved, that the feafon of the year as to wet 

 or dry, makes a very great difference in the effential oils of 

 all plants ; they are always much finer in dry and hot feafons, 

 than in cold and moill ; we find our rofe-watcr in England 

 much finer, and more fragrant, though diftilled in the fame 

 proportion, in hot and dry fummers, than in cold and rainy 

 ones ; and Mr. Geoffroy gives an account that he fuc- 

 cceded, one very hot and dry year, in the making effence of 

 roles in France in the following manner. 



As the rofes were Brought to him frefh gathered, he 

 turned them immediately into the ttill ; and drawing over 

 the water into a glafs matrafs, when it had flood by fame 

 time, and was perfectly cold, he difcovered fome of the 

 cflence fixed to the fides of the matrafs, and the furface of 

 the water covered wnh a thin reticular pellicle. All the 

 contents of the matrafs were put to filter through a paper, 

 iupported by a fine linen cloth ; and the filtrated water was 

 added to new rofes for many fucceeding diftillations, the 

 produce of which was all filtered through the fame paper. 

 After a long courfe of diftillations, with frefh flowers c . 

 time, but Hill with the fame veffels and the fame water, 

 there was found in the paper of the tilt 10 a quantity of thick 

 cflence ; this being carefully wafhed out of the paper, with 

 a fmall quantity of the mod fragrant of the water, ami after- 

 wards feparated pure from its furtace, was very white and 

 extremely fragrant, and as thick as line butter. This is not 

 the only effential ml which naturally concretes into this 

 Hate ; oil of auifeed, though fluid when diftilled, alway 

 concretes in the fan 1 : m; on the lirll approach of cold ; 



and another oil of this kind is that of the laurel, whn h 

 iitrd m fimie places, though very improperly, to give the 

 fcent and tafte of bitter almonds, or apricot kernels, to 

 foods of different k; 



Monficur Homberg has taught us how to gain a lai 

 quantity of the effential oil of rofes than in the 1: 

 diftillation, by the previous addition of miner. I acid the 



fpirit of fait, vitriol, &c. thereto ; which increafe the fer- 

 mentation, and joining with the ml, render it more liquid, 

 and ealier to be raifed by heat. He advifes a perfun cr t who 

 before fcarccly obtained an ounce of oil from a hundred 

 weight of rofes) to fteep his flowers, for u'. 



water made (harp with 'he Inirit of vitriol : bv which m 



theperfumer, upon diftillation, found his quai tl in- 



ci eaf 'I almoft a third. 



The perfumers keep th they em- 



ploy in this diftillation a fecret. M. Homberg tells 



us, it is .1 large convei 1 nt ftill, th 1 '"be at the 



topto reo ive the » iter, which mull often be poured upon 

 the rofes, to bring over the oil wnh it ; this il l ■ ■ but 

 very (lowly, and fo requin ■ th 1 :i quantity be large ; the 

 ftill alfo opens below, thai the flowers, When they will yield 

 no more oil, may be ealily taken out ; but the principal 



connivance 



