Satieties. 
On  Perfumery.    By  Septimus  Piesse. 
(Continued  from  page  181.) 
We  have  previously  spoken  of  the  difference  in  the  odor  between  the 
English  and  French  spirit ;  the  marked  distinction  of  British  and  Parisian 
perfumes  made  according  to  the  same  recipes  is  entirely  due  to  the  different 
spirits  employed.  Owing  to  the  strong  "  bouquet,"  as  the  French  say,  of 
their  spirit  in  comparison  with  ours,  the  continental  perfumers  claim  a 
priority  in  the  quality  of  their  perfumes.  Now,  although  we  candidly  admit 
that  some  odors  are  better  when  prepared  with  grape-spirit  than  with  that 
from  corn,  yet  there  are  others  which  are  undoubtedly  the  best  when  pre- 
pared with  spirit  derived  from  the  latter  source.  Musk,  ambergris,  civet, 
violet,  tubereuse,  and  jasmin,  if  we  require  to  retain  their  true  aroma  when 
in  solution  in  alcohol,  must  be  made  with  the  British  spirit. 
All  the  citrine  odors,  verveine,  vulnary  waters,  eau  de  Cologne,  eau  de 
Portugal,  and  eau  d'Arquebuzade,  Lavander,  can  alone  be  brought  to  per- 
fection by  using  the  French  spirit  in  their  manufacture.  If  extract  of 
jessamine,  or  extract  of  violet,  &c,  be  made  with  the  French  or  brandy 
spirit,  the  true  characteristic  odor  of  the  flower  is  lost  to  the  olfactory  nerve 
— so  completely  does  the  cenanthic  ether  of  the  grape  spirit  hide  the  flowery 
aroma  of  the  otto  of  violet  in  solution  with  it.  This  solves  the  paradox 
that  English  extract  of  violet  and  its  compounds,  "  spring  flowers,"  &c,  is 
at  all  times  in  demand  on  the  continent,  although  the  very  flowers  with 
which  we  make  it  are  grown  there. 
On  the  contrary,  if  an  English  perfumer  attempts  to  make  eau  de  Portu- 
gal, &c,  to  bear  any  comparison  as  a  fine  odor  to  that  made  by  Lubin  of 
Paris,  without  using  grape  Spirit,  his  attempt  will  prove  a  failure.  True, 
he  makes  eau  de  Portugal  even  with  English  corn  spirit,  but  judges  of  the 
article — and  they  alone  can  stamp  its  merit — discover  instantly  the  same 
difference  as  the  connoisseur  finds  out  between  "  Patent  British "  and 
foreign  Brandy. 
Perhaps  it  may  not  be  out  of  place  here  to  observe  that  what  is  sold  in 
this  country  as  British  brandy  is  in  truth  grape  spirit,  that  is,  foreign  brandy 
very  largely  diluted  with  English  spirit !  By  this  scheme,  a  real  semblance 
to  the  foreign  brandy  flavor  is  maintained ;  the  difference  in  duty  upon 
English  and  foreign  spirit  enables  the  makers  of  the  "  capsuled  "  article 
to  undersell  those  who  vend  the  unsophisticated  Cognac. 
Some  chemists,  who,  not  being  very  deep  in  the  "  tricks  of  trade,"  have 
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