252 
ON THE STEARIC CANDLE MANUFACTURE. 
quantity to allow of their composition being accurately determined. 
In the case of many of these essences, their resemblance to the 
aromas specified was very doubtful. 
The application of organic chemistry to perfumery is still in its 
infancy ; and we may expect that a careful survey of those ethers 
and etherial compounds with which we are at present acquainted, 
and those which are daily being discovered, will lead to further 
results. The interesting caprylic ethers, which M. Bouis has 
lately discovered, are remarkable from their extremely aro- 
matic odor ; (thus the acetate of caprylic oxide possesses an odor 
as strong as it is agreeable), and promise, if they can be obtained 
in larger quantities, to yield new materials for perfumery. — Lon- 
don Chem. Gaz. March 1, 1852, from Ann* der Chem. und Pharm. 
ON THE STEARIC CANDLE MANUFACTURE. 
By Mr. George F. Wilson, Managing Director of Price's Candle Company. 
(Read before the Society of Arts, Feb. 5th, 1852.) 
The science of candle-making is indebted for its existence to 
the eminent French chemist M. Chevruel, who in 1811 began his 
researches into the nature and constituents of fatty bodies. He 
discovered that fat, instead of being a simple organic substance, 
as had been previously believed, was a salt composed of a solid 
animal acid (margaric) and an animal base (glycerine,) the acid 
being the inflammable part. In 1814, he further discovered the 
existence of a liquid acid (oleic) existing in lard, and forming a 
chief ingredient in many fatty bodies. His researches were con- 
tinued for several years, and in 1823 were given by him to the 
world in his well known work. He has recently been presented 
by the Societe d' Encouragement with a prize of 12,000 francs. 
The first successful attempt to employ commercially these scien- 
tific discoveries of Chevruel was that of De Milly of Paris, who 
commenced manufacturing in 1832. His candles are stamped 
with the word " Etoile," from the Barriere de l'Etoile, near which 
his works are situated. De Milly employed a modification of 
Chevruel's process for separating the acids from the glycerine with 
which they are combined. Tallow is boiled up with thin cream 
