The Art of Perfumery - And Methods of Obtaining the Odors of Plants by George William Septimus Piesse
page 38 of 292 (13%)
page 38 of 292 (13%)
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to perfumers. It exudes from the _Styrax benzoin_ by wounding the tree,
and drying, becomes a hard gum-resin. It is principally imported from Borneo, Java, Sumatra, and Siam. The best kind comes from the latter place, and used to be called Amygdaloides, because of its being interspersed with several white spots, which resemble broken almonds. When heated, these white specks rise as a smoke, which is easily condensed upon paper. The material thus separated from the benzoin is called flowers of benzoin in commerce, and by chemists is termed benzoic acid. It has all, or nearly all, the odor of the resin from which it is derived. The extract, or tincture of benzoin, forms a good basis for a bouquet.[B] Like balsam of Tolu, it gives permanence and body to a perfume made with an essential oil in spirit. The principal consumption of benzoin is in the manufacture of pastilles (see PASTILLES), and for the preparation of fictitious vanilla pomade (see POMATUMS). CARAWAY.--This odoriferous principle is drawn by distillation from the seeds of the _Carum carui_. It has a very pleasant smell, quite familiar enough without description. It is well adapted to perfume soap, for which it is much used in England, though rarely if ever on the continent; when dissolved in spirit it may be used in combination with oil of lavender and bergamot for the manufacture of cheap essences, in a similar way to cloves (see CLOVES). If caraway seeds are ground, they are well adapted for mixing to form sachet powder (see SACHETS). CASCARILLA.--The bark is used in the formation of pastilles, |
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