374 
VARIETIES. 
vert  is  more  often  sold  tied  up  in  bunches,  as  imported  from  India,  than 
ground,  and  is  used  for  the  prevention  of  moth,  rather  than  as  a  perfume. 
Violet  Sachet. 
Black  currant  leaves  (Casse)  1  lb.        iGrain  musk  1  drachm. 
Rose  heels  or  leaves  .  .  .  1  lb.  Tonquin  beans  .  .  .  .  \  lb. 
Orris  root  powder  ...  2  lbs.  Gum  benzoin,  in  powder  .  \  lb. 
Otto  of  almonds  .    .    .    .    I  drachm. | 
Well  mix  the  ingredients  by  sifting ;  keep  them  together  for  a  week  in  a 
glass  or  porcelain  jar  before  offering  for  sale. 
There  are  many  other  sachets  manufactured  besides  those  already  given, 
but  for  actual  trade  purposes  there  is  no  advantage  in  keeping  a  greater 
variety  than  those  named.  There  are,  however,  many  other  substances  used 
in  a  similar  way  ;  the  most  popular  is  the 
Peau  d'Espagne. 
Peau  d'Espagne,  or  Spanish  skin,  is  nothing  more  than  highly  perfumed 
leather.  Good  sound  pieces  of  wash  leather  are  to  be  steeped  in  a  mixture 
of  ottoes,  in  which  are  dissolved  some  odoriferous  gum  resins,  thus : — Otto 
of  neroli,  otto  of  rose,  santal,  of  each  half  an  ounce  ;  otto  of  lavender,  ver- 
bena, bergamot,  of  each  a  quarter  of  an  ounce  ;  otto  of  cloves  and  cinna- 
mon, of  each  two  drachms  ;  with  any  others  thought  fit.  In  this  mixture 
dissolve  about  two  ounces  of  gum  benzoin  ;  now  place  the  skin  to  steep  in 
it  for  a  day  or  so,  then  hang  it  over  a  line  to  dry.  A  paste  is  now  to  be 
made  by  rubbing  in  a  mortar  one  drachm  of  civet  with  one  drachm  of  grain- 
musk,  and  enough  solution  of  gum  acacia  or  gum  tragantha  to  give  it  a 
spreading  consistence  ;  a  little  of  any  of  the  ottoes  that  may  be  left  from 
the  steep  stirred  in  with  the  civet,  &c,  greatly  assists  in  making  the  whole 
of  an  equal  body ;  the  skin  being  cut  up  into  pieces  of  about  four  inches 
square  are  then  to  be  spread  over,  plaster  fashion,  with  the  last  named 
compost ;  two  pieces  being  put  together,  having  the  civet  plaster  inside  them, 
are  then  to  be  placed  between  sheets  of  paper,  weighed  or  pressed,  and 
left  to  dry  thus  for  a  week;  finally,  each  double  skin,  now  called  peau 
d'Espagne,  is  to  be  enveloped  in  some  pretty  silk  or  satin,  and  finished  off 
to  the  taste  of  the  vender. 
Skin  or  leather  thus  prepared  evolves  a  pleasant  odor  for  years,  and  hence 
they  are  frequently  called  "  the  inexhaustible  sachet."  Being  flat  they  are 
much  used  for  perfuming  writing-paper. — Annals  of  Pharmacy. 
Note  on  a  New  method  of  Biting  for  Heliograijhic  Engraving  upon  Steel. 
By  Niepce  de  Saint-Victor. — The  author  has  been  engaged  in  researches 
with  a  view  to  obtain  a  substitute  for  nitric  acid  in  heliographic  engraving 
upon  steel.  The  fumigations  indicated  by  him  often  give  too  much  or  too 
little  resistance  to  the  varnish,  so  that  it  was  necessary  to  find  some 
mordant  which  would  act  upon  the  metal  without  attacking  the  varnish. 
For  this  purpose  he  has  found  nothing  better  than  water  saturated  with 
