VARIETIES. 
81 
For  the  methods  of  mixing  the  ingredients,  see  "  Amandine." 
On  account  of  the  high  price  of  the  French  oils,  the  preparations  are 
expensive,  but  they  are  undoubtedly  the  most  exquisite  of  cosmetiques. 
Milks  or  Emulsions. 
In  the  perfumery  trade  few  articles  meet  with  a  more  ready  sale  than 
that  class  of  cosmetiques  denominated  milks.  It  has  long  been  known  that 
nearly  all  the  seeds  of  plants  which  are  called  nuts,  when  decorticated  and 
freed  from  their  pellicle,  on  being  reduced  to  a  pulpy  mass,  and  rubbed 
with  about  four  times  their  weight  of  water,  produce  a  fluid  which  has 
every  analogy  to  cow's  milk.  The  milky  appearance  of  these  emulsions  is 
due  to  the  minute  mechanical  division  of  the  oil  derived  from  the  nuts 
being  diffused  through  the  water.  All  these  emulsions  possess  great  chemi- 
cal interest  on  account  of  their  rapid  decomposition,  and  the  products 
emanating  from  their  fermentation,  especially  that  made  with  sweet  almonds 
and  pistachios  (pistachio,  vera.) 
In  the  manufacture  of  various  milks  for  sale,  careful  manipulation  is  of 
the  utmost  importance,  otherwise  these  emulsions  "  will  not  keep  ;  "  hence 
more  loss  than  profit. 
"  Transformation  takes  place  in  the  elements  of  vegetable  caseine  (exist- 
ing in  seeds)  from  the  very  moment  that  sweet  almonds  are  converted  into 
almond  milk." — Liebig.  This  accounts  for  the  difficulty  many  persons  find 
in  making  milk  of  almonds  that  does  not  spontaneously  divide,  a  day  or  so 
after  its  manufacture. 
Milk  of  Roses. 
Valentia  almonds  (blanched)    .  „        ^  lb. 
Rose  water   .  .  .  ,1  quart. 
Alcohol  (60  o.  p.)  .  f  pint. 
Otto  of  rose  .  .  .  .1  drachm, 
White  wax  ) 
Spermaceti  >  .  .  i  oz. 
Oil  Soap  \ 
Manipulation  .—Shave  up  the  soap  and  place  it  in  a  vessel  that  can  be 
heated  by  steam  or  water  bath  ;  add  to  it  two  or  three  ounces  of  rose  water. 
When  the  soap  is  perfectly  melted  add  the  wax  and  spermaceti  without 
dividing  them  more  than  is  necessary  to  obtain  the  correct  weight;  this 
ensures  them  melting  slowly,  and  allows  time  for  their  partial  saponification 
by  the  fluid  soap  ;  occasional  stirring  is  necessary.  While  this  is  going  on 
blanch  the  almonds,  carefully  excluding  every  particle  that  is  in  the  least 
way  damaged.  Now  proceed  to  beat  up  the  almonds  in  a  scrupulously  clean 
mortar,  allowing  the  rose  water  to  trickle  into  the  mass  by  degrees  ;  the  run- 
ner as  used  for  the  oil  in  the  manufacture  of  olivine  (see  last  number  of 
"  Annals  ")  is  very  convenient  for  this  purpose.  When  the  emulsion  of 
almonds  is  thus  finished,  it  is  to  be  strained,  without  pressure,  through  clean 
ivashed  muslin  (rtew  muslin  often  contains  starch,  flour,  gum  or  dextrine.) 
6 
