438  DISTILLED  WATERS  OF  THE  PHARMACOPOEIAS. 
"  In  the  third  division  I  have  rose  and  elder-flower  waters, 
and  with  these  I  return  to  the  plan  of  distillation,  preferring 
the  pickled  to  the  fresh  flowers,  as  I  think  the  water  from  them 
is  more  permanent  in  odor  and  keeps  better,  being  less  mucilagi- 
nous and  less  apt  to  turn  sour;  these  should  also  be  kept  in  bulk, 
allowing  the  unsuspended  attar,  or  volatile  oil,  to  remain,  and 
filtering  as  required.  With  the  pickled  flowers  there  is  also  the 
advantage  of  being  able  to  draw  any  quantity  as  most  conveni- 
ent, according  to  consumption.  The  addition  of  spirit  to  rose 
and  elder-flower  water  is,  I  think  of  no  advantage,  but  rather 
the  reverse,  as  these  waters  are  principally  employed,  pharma- 
ceutically,  in  collyriums,  where  the  presence  of  spirit  may  be 
objectionable.  Otto  of  roses  should  not  be  used  for  making  rose- 
water  unless  it  be  intended  merely  as  a  perfume.* 
"  Stone,  or  non-porous  earthern  jars,  I  believe  preferable  to 
glass  for  keeping  the  waters  in ;  they  should  be  furnished  with  . 
taps  placed  about  two  inches  from  the  bottom,  with  beaks  suffi- 
ciently small  to  fit  into  the  ordinary  shop  bottle,  which  may  thus 
be  easily  filled.  The  heavier  oil  of  cinnamon  will  sink  to  the 
bottom,  whilst  the  lighter  ones  will  float  on  the  surface.  The  tap 
placed  as  directed  will  steer  clear  of  both,  and  the  water  may 
be  drawn  as  needed  without  trouble  or  inconvenience. 
"  Before  quitting  the  subject,  I  will  venture  to  add  a  word  or 
two  upon  the  operation  of  pickling.  The  proportion  of  salt 
which  answers  well  is  three  pounds  to  one  of  flowers;  they  should 
*  If  the  following  description,  which  has  been  given  of  the  method  of 
obtaining  otto,  is,  as  no  doubt  it  is,  correct,  there  can  be  little  or  no  gen- 
uine otto  imported  into  this  country,  looking  even  at  the  largest  price  we 
pay  for  it: — "The  Kose  gardens  at  Ghazepore  are  fields  in  which  small 
rose-bushes  are  planted  in  rows.  In  the  morning  they  are  red  with  blos- 
soms, which  are  gathered  before  mid-day,  and  their  leaves  distilled  in  clay 
stills,  with  twice  their  weight  of  water.  The  water  which  comes  over  is 
placed  in  open  vessels,  covered  with  a  moist  muslin  cloth  to  keep  out  the 
dust  and  flies,  and  exposed  all  night  to  the  cool  air  or  to  artificial  cold,  as 
we  set  out  milk  to  throw  up  its  cream.  In  the  morning  a  thin  film  of  oil 
has  collected  on  the  surface,  which  is  swept  off  with  a  feather  and  care- 
fully  transferred  to  a  small  vial.  This  is  repeated  night  after  night  till 
nearly  the  whole  of  the  oil  is  collected  from  the  water.  It  is  said  that  twenty 
thousand  roses  are  required  to  yield  a  rupee  weight  (rather  less  than  170 
grains)  of  pure  oil,  which  sells  for  £10  sterling." — Hooker. 
