h  axit  tu0  > 
[Note. — For  nearly  a  year  past  a  series  of  articles  have  been  published  in 
the  Annals  of  Pharmacy  under  the  caption  "  Perfumery/7  by  Mr.  Septimus 
Piesse,  extending  over  more  than  forty  pages  of  that  Journal.  As  some 
parts  of  them  possess  considerable  interest,  and  many  of  the  formulae  may 
be  useful  to  our  readers,  it  is  proposed  to  publish  those  of  them  which  are 
most  likely  to  be  acceptable,  beginning  in  the  present  number  with  the 
second  article  of  the  series,  the  introductory  chapter  on  generalities  being 
omitted. — Editor  Am.  Jour.  Pharm.] 
On  Perfumery.  By  Septimus  Piesse. — The  extensive  flower  farms  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Nice,  Grasse,  Montpellier,  and  Cannes,  in  France,  at  Ad- 
rianople  (Turkey  in  Europe,)  at  Broussa  and  Uslak  (Turkey  in  Asia,)  and 
at  Mitcham,  in  England,  in  a  measure,  indicates  the  commercial  importance 
of  that  branch  of  chemistry  called  perfumery. 
British  India  and  Europe  consume  annually,  at  the  very  lowest  estimate, 
150,000  gallons !  of  perfumed  spirits,  under  various  titles,  such  as  eau  de 
Cologne,  essence  of  lavender,  esprit  de  rose,  &c.  The  art  of  perfumery 
does  not,  however,  confine  itself  to  the  production  of  scents  for  the  hand- 
kerchief and  bath,  but  extends  to  imparting  odor  to  inodorous  bodies,  such 
as  soap,  oil,  starch,  and  grease,  which  are  consumed  at  the  toilette  of  fashion. 
Some  idea  of  the  importance  of  this  art  to  commerce  may  be  formed  when 
we  state  that  one  of  the  large  perfumers  of  Grasse  and  Paris  employ  annu- 
ally 80,000lbs.  of  orange  flowers,  60,0001bs.  of  cassie  flowers,  54,0001bs.  of 
rose  leaves,  32,0001bs.  of  jasmine  blossoms,  32,0001bs.  of  violets,  20,0001bs. 
of  tubereuse,  16,0001bs.  of  lilac,  besides  rosemary,  mint,  lemon,  citron, 
thyme,  and  other  odorous  plants  in  like  proportion.  The  quantity  of  odori- 
ferous substances  used  in  this  way  is  far  beyond  the  conception  of  those 
even  used  to  abstract  statistics,  giving  rise  to  an  amount  of  industry  truly 
gratifying. 
The  consumption  of  perfumery  increases  with  the  civilized  state  of  society 
— it  is  strictly  one  of  the  arts  of  peace  ;  it  supplies  one  of  our  senses  with  a 
gratification  ;  which,  by  use,  becomes  tutored  to  distinguish  everything  that 
is  sweet  to  smell,  and  this  art  is  certainly  calculated  to  stamp  the  refine- 
ment of  taste  to  one  of  our  desires — the  desire  of  pleasing  the  olfactory 
nerve. 
To  the  chemical  philosopher,  the  study  of  perfumery  opens  a  book  as  yet 
unread ;  the  practical  perfumer,  on  his  laboratory  shelves,  exhibits  many 
rare  essential  oils,  such  as  essential  oil  of  the  flower  of  the  acacia  farnesi- 
ana,  essential  oil  of  violets,  tubereuse,  jasmine,  and  others  ;  the  composi- 
tions of  which  have  yet  to  be  determined. 
The  exquisite  pleasure  derived  from  smelling  at  fragrant  flowers,  would 
