ESSENTIAL OILS, AND AROMATIC SUBSTANCES. 209 
Garrod also suggests that perhaps animal charcoal would pre- 
vent the action of the poison of rabies, syphilis, serpents, &c., 
if applied in the form of a poultice to the part which has come 
into contact with the poisons, and that it may prove service- 
able as a remedy in some diseases, from its great power of ab- 
sorbing all principles. — Pharm. Jour. 
ART. XLII.—ON THE ACTION OF BITTER ALMONDS, THE 
LEAVES OFTHE CHERRY-LAUREL, PEACH BLOSSOMS, AND 
THEIR DISTILLED WATERS. ON ESSENTIAL OILS, AND 
AROMATIC SUBSTANCES IN GENERAL. 
By M. Maher. 
The notice already taken of the disappearance of the 
smell of musk in syrup of orgeat, as established by M. 
Soubeiran, and recognised afterwards in the case of cherry- 
laurel water, by M. Fauve, of Bordeaux, led me to general- 
ise this action upon essential oils, and all strongly scented 
substances. 
Without being able to add to the stores of science any- 
thing as to the cause, the expriments I am about to men- 
tion may be of interest, if it were only to point out a quick 
and easy method of cleansing and rendering fit for any use, 
bottles, or vessels of any kind, which can, in many cases, 
only be used for the substances by which they were infected. 
Very lately I wished to avoid the trouble of the sweet- 
ening, always imperfect and disagreeable, of a marble mor- 
tar I had used for the preparation of an assafoetida lotion, 
by means of vinegar and afterwards of ashes. I thought 
of trying the residuum of some almond paste, which I had 
20 
