ON  THE  OINTMENT  AND  SPIRIT  OF  CUCUMBERS.  427 
hours,  distil  off  slowly,  one  pound  of  spirit  marking  19°  of  the 
areometer. 
This  recipe  contains  a  larger  proportion  of  alcohol  than  that 
of  M.  Buron,  and  the  spirit  obtained  is  stronger  and  more  aro- 
matic than  his,  which  has  the  strength  of  14°. 
The  pound  of  distilled  spirit  represents  but  a  part  of  the 
alcohol  employed,  and  the  cucumber  pulp  yet  retains  a  part  of 
its  aroma,  hence  there  is  an  advantage  in  continuing  the  distilla- 
tion till  another  pound  is  obtained,  which  may  be  reserved  for 
use  or  for  another  operation. 
Cucumber  Ointment, 
Take  of  Lard,  (benzinated*)  75  parts. 
Stearine,  25  " 
Spirit  of  cucumbers,  12  " 
Cut  the  stearine  in  pieces,  melt  it  in  a  water  bath  with  the  ben- 
zinated lard,  and  pour  them  into  a  large  mortar  of  marble  or 
porcelain  ;  beat  the  melted  mass  vigorously  during  the  cooling, 
add  the  distilled  spirit  and  continue  to  beat  them  in  the  same 
manner  till  the  product  is  of  very  great  whiteness  and  levity. 
Prepared  in  this  manner  cucumber  ointment  has  not  only  the 
qualities  presented  by  the  best  Parisian  article,  even  that  of  M. 
Chardin-Hadancourt,  which  is  esteemed  the  highest,  but  it  also 
has  the  property  of  keeping  a  long  time  in  a  good  condition, 
owing  to  the  aromatic  principles  which  exist  in  the  benzinated 
lard  when  made  by  my  process,  and  which  appear  to  facilitate 
the  molecular  incorporation  of  atmospheric  air  so  necessary  to  its 
beauty. 
M.  Pottier,  Pharmacien  of  Auxerre,  has  published  in  the 
Repertoire  de  Pharmacie,  1847,  180,  a  process  in  which  distilled 
water  of  cucumbers  was  used  in  lieu  of  the  spirit  of  M.  Buron, 
but  this  does  not  keep  so  well  as  that  made  by  the  process  of  M. 
Buron. 
The  alcohol  of  the  spirit  is  almost  wholly  driven  off  during  the 
continued  process  of  beating  (or  whipping)  the  ointment  with  a 
spatula,  and  hence  the  objection  which  some  may  incline  to  raise 
against  the  use  of  the  spirit  in  this  formula  is  of  no  force. 
*  Lard  is  benzinated  by  digesting  it  with  powdered  benzoin  in  the  proportion 
of  £ij  to  the  pound. 
