ON THE WATERS OF THE PHARMACOPCEIA. 
163 
remarks I have used against distillation do not apply to them. In former days, 
at the proper season, it was my custom to distil rose-water from the flowers in 
rather large quantity. It was a period of some excitement amongst us, and as 
quickly as possible a given weight of the latter was placed in the forty-gallon still, 
with a due proportion of water, and the product secured. But sometimes wet 
summers spoilt the roses, and rose-water from more genial climes was introduced, 
and by degrees the old plan was given up, and now we have two sorts of rose¬ 
water in use,—one made from otto for common purposes; the other, the best 
French distilled rose-water, for eye-lotions and for connoisseurs. I do not 
think it will again be worth while to distil rose-water in this country from the 
fresh flowers. Pickled flowers yield a fair product, though inferior to good 
French eau de rose. Elder-flowers can be more easily procured in good condi¬ 
tion, and when pickled and distilled yield very good elder-flower water,—su¬ 
perior, I think, to that distilled from the fresh flowers. 
We have now only one more of the waters of the Br. Ph. to notice, that is 
cherry-laurel water, and as I have really no personal experience in its distilla¬ 
tion, I may, perhaps, be allowed to quote the words of Mr. Harry Napier 
Draper upon this subject. 
In the Pharm. Journal, vol. ii. second series, Mr. Draper writes to show the 
very uncertain composition of this water. The process is now virtually the 
same as when Mr. Draper wrote, viz. digest 1 pound of bruised fresh leaves of 
laurel in 2 ^ pints of water, distil 1 pint secundum cirtem, and filter. 
Mr. Draper says, u Laurel water thus prepared is nothing more than a dilute 
solution of hydrocyanic acid, to which a small quantity of volatile oil gives its 
peculiar odour and taste. The dose is by no means well fixed, being given by 
some authorities at from 10 to 20 minims, and according to others ranging from 
\ drachm to 1 drachm. . . . The chief cause of the uncertainty of this prepara¬ 
tion lies in the fact that the quantity of hydrocyanated oil obtained from the 
leaves, varies with their age. Thus, Christison found that 1000 grains of the 
buds and unexpanded leaves of May and June gave 6-33 grains of oil, but when 
in July they had attained their full size, the same quantity yielded but 3T 
grains. In May following the quantity had diminished to O’6 grain. Not only 
is the quantity of oil liable to variation, but what is still more important, the 
quantity of hydrocyanic acid which it contains is uncertain, varying, according 
to different writers, from 2-75 to 7-66 per cent. Zeller states that the leaves 
gathered in wet cold weather, yield more hydrocyanic acid than when they are 
collected in hot dry seasons. ... As the whole of the oil comes over in the dis¬ 
tillation with the first few ounces of water, if the whole product be not strongly 
agitated together before filtration, a uniform preparation will not be obtained 
even if other conditions be favourable. ... In addition to the other sources of 
inaccuracy, there is one which has by no means attracted the attention which 
the importance of the question seems to me to deserve ; it is this,—Liebig and 
Wohler, in their analysis of laurel-leaves, though unable to detect amygdalin, 
concur in opinion as to its existence. If this be the case,—and all analogy 
leads to the inference that it is,—the well-known action by which this body 
gives rise to hydrocyanic acid, should surely not be overlooked, as the duration 
of the digestion of the leaves in water, now considered as a matter of secondary 
importance, would then exercise a considerable influence over the amount of 
active matter contained in the product.” 
Mr. Draper then gives facts which illustrate this inconstancy in the compo¬ 
sition of cherry-laurel water. u Fouquier has given 12 ounces in a day, without 
any evident effect. Sir T. Boughton’s death resulted in half an hour from 
taking 2 ounces. In another case, mentioned by Pereira, 1^ ounce caused death 
in an adult. . . . Thus, if on the one hand, bad results do not often ensue from 
its administration, on the other the practitioner must frequently experience much 
