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The Art of Perfumery - And Methods of Obtaining the Odors of Plants by George William Septimus Piesse
page 49 of 292 (16%)
grease, the melting and granulation process may be repeated three or
four times; finally, remelt the fat and cast it into a pan to free it
from adhering water.

Now put the clarified suet into the macerating pot, and place it in such
a position near the fire of the greenhouse, or elsewhere that will keep
it warm enough to be liquid; into the fat throw as many flowers as you
can, and there let them remain for twenty-four hours; at this time
strain the fat from the spent flowers and add fresh ones; repeat this
operation for a week: we expect at the last straining the fat will have
become very highly perfumed, and when cold may be justly termed _Pomade
à la Heliotrope_.

The cold pomade being chopped up, like suet for a pudding, is now to be
put into a wide-mouthed bottle, and covered with spirits as highly
rectified as can be obtained, and left to digest for a week or more; the
spirit then strained off will be highly perfumed; in reality it will be
_extract of Heliotrope_, a delightful perfume for the handkerchief. The
rationale of the operation is simple enough: the fat body has a strong
affinity or attraction for the odorous body, or essential oil of the
flowers, and it therefore absorbs it by contact, and becomes itself
perfumed. In the second operation, the spirit has a much greater
attraction for the fragrant principle than the fatty matter; the former,
therefore, becomes perfumed at the expense of the latter. The same
experiment may be repeated with almond oil substituted for the fat.

The experiment here hinted at, may be varied with any flowers that there
are to spare; indeed, by having the macerating bath larger than was
mentioned above, an excellent _millefleur_ pomade and essence might be
produced from every conservatory in the kingdom, and thus we may receive
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