210 ESSENTIAL OILS, AND AROMATIC SUBSTANCES. 
just employed in the preparation of orgeat; and having 
taken a portion and rubbed my mortar with it, as the smell 
still remained, I added a little water, when a strong odour 
of bitter almonds was perceptible ; I rubbed it again, washed 
it with a quantity of water, and the smell had completely 
disappeared. 
The first attempt induced me a few days afterwards, to 
apply the same plan to phials and bottles which had held 
camphorated eau-de-vie, oil of spike, essence of cloves, 
peppermint, orange, lavender, lemon, and turpentine, and 
the oils of petrolium, copaiba, cod's liver, creosote, and a 
number of odoriferous, balsamic, and resinous substances. 
All these bottles were cleansed, without smell, and as if 
new. 
But it was necessary, in the first instance, to remove the 
grease from those which were oily, by means of pearlash or 
potash, and to rinse those which contained resinous and 
balsamic tinctures, with alcohol, before you used the al- 
mond paste. It is clear that pure bitter almond paste, with- 
out sweet almonds, would succeed better when used in the 
same quantity ; but the article usually sold will not succeed 
so well, as much, frequently, on account of its age as of its 
having been adulterated with bran, flour, &c. ; but fresh 
cakes of bitter almonds may easily be procured and pulver- 
ised for the purpose. 
The leaves of the cherry-laurel, and of the peach, if 
bruised, and reduced to a pulp, and introduced into the bot- 
tles, act in the same manner. A handful of these leaves? 
rubbed upon the sides of a mortar, or any other scented 
vessel, have, using a little water, succeeded with me as well 
as bitter almonds. 
The distilled waters of bitter almonds, cherry-laurel, and 
peach, especially if they are recent, have the same effect if 
the same precautions are used, but it is more expensive to 
employ them. 
It must be the same in the case of all seeds, flowers, or 
