Buc'hoz Pierre-Joseph
The Toilet of Flora
106. A Water to change the Eye-brows black
First wash your eyebrows with a decoction of Gall Nuts; then wet them with a pencil or little brush dipped in a solution of Green Vitriol, in which a little Gum Arabic has been dissolved, and when dry, they will appear of a beautiful black colour.
107. To remove Worms in the Face
Make use of the distilled Waters of the Whites of Eggs, Bean Flowers, Water Lilies, White Lilies, Melon Seeds, Iris Roots, Solomon's Seal, White Roses, or crumb of Wheaten Bread, either mixed together, or separately, with the addition of the White of a new-laid Egg.
108. The Duchess de la Vrilliere's Mouth-Water
Take Cinnamon, two ounces; Cloves, six drachms; Water Cresses, six ounces; fresh Lemon Peel, an ounce and a half; Red Rose Leaves, an ounce; Scurvy Grass, half a pound; Spirit of Wine, three pints. Bruise the Spices, cut the Water Cresses and Scurvy Grass small, and macerate the whole in Spirit of Wine, in a bottle well corked, during twenty-four hours; then distil to dryness in a vapour-bath, and afterwards rectify the distilled Water, by repeating the same process.
This Water strengthens the gums, prevents the scurvy, and cures aphthæ, or little ulcerations in the mouth. It is used to gargle the mouth with, either by itself, or diluted with water, as occasion may require.
109. Another Water for the Teeth, called Spirituous Vulnerary Water
For this intention are commonly used Spirituous Waters, that are no ways disagreeable; waters proper to strengthen and fortify the gums, as Spirituous Vulnerary Water tinctured with Cochineal, or Seed Lac; Guaiacum Water, or the Duchess de la Vrilliere's Water above described.
To tinge Vulnerary Water, put any quantity into a glass matrass, and infuse in it some bruised Cochineal; then filter the Vulnerary Water, and use it to gargle the mouth, after which the teeth are to be cleaned with Tooth Powder. This, when found too strong, may be lowered by the addition of Spring Water.
110. Receipt to make Vulnerary Water
Take fresh gathered Leaves of Sage, Angelica, Wormwood, Savory, Fennel, and spiked Mint, of each four ounces; Leaves of Hyssop, Balm, Sweet Basil, Rue, Thyme, Marjoram, Rosemary, Origanum, Calamint, and Wild Thyme, fresh gathered, of each four ounces; the same quantity of Lavender Flowers, and a gallon of rectified Spirit of Wine.
Cut the Herbs small, infuse them ten or twelve hours in Spirit of Wine, and then distil in a vapour-bath. Preserve the Spirit drawn off, in a bottle well corked.
111. A Water for the Gums
Take of the best Cinnamon, an ounce; Cloves, three drachms; the Yellow Peel of two Lemons; Red Rose Leaves, half an ounce; Water Cresses, half a pound; Scurvy Grass, four ounces; rectified Spirit of Wine, three gallons: bruise the Spices, and infuse the whole a sufficient time in the Spirit in a glass vessel; then distil off the Spirit for use, in a vapour-bath.
112. Another, prepared by Infusion
Take two drachms of Cinnamon, finely powdered; half a drachm of Cloves, in fine powder; and half an ounce of Roch Alum; pour on them three gallons of boiling Water; when cold, add six ounces of Plantain Water, half an ounce of Orange-flower Water, a quarter of an ounce of Essence of Lemons, and a gill and a half of rectified Spirit of Wine; let the whole stand together in digestion four and twenty hours, then filter through paper, and reserve the clear water for use.
113. Or,
Take Mace, Cinnamon, Cloves, Pellitory of Spain, and Terra Sigillata, or Sealed Earth, of each half an ounce; beat the whole together in a mortar, and infuse it a month in a quart of Spirit of Wine. Strain off the Spirit, and add eight ounces of Spirit of Scurvy Grass. Drop six or seven drops in a glass of very clear Water, and rince the mouth; afterwards rubbing the gums with conserve of Hips acidulated with five or six drops of Spirit of Vitriol.
114. Another Water for the Gums
Take of the best Cinnamon, an ounce; Cloves, three drachms; the Peel of two Lemons; half an ounce of Red Rose Leaves; half a pound of Water Cresses, four ounces of Scurvy Grass, and three gallons of rectified Spirit of Wine. Bruise the Spices, and let the whole stand in digestion in a glass vessel twenty-four hours; then distil in a vapour-bath.
115. A simple Depilatory
Oil of Walnuts frequently rubbed on a child's forehead, will prevent the hair from growing on that part.
116. Prepared Sponges for the Face
Steep in Water some time the finest and thinnest Sponges you can pick out; wash them well, dry them, and soak them in Brandy a whole day; then squeeze the Brandy out, and dry them again. Lastly, dip them in Orange-flower Water, and let them remain in it eleven or twelve hours. When squeezed, and thoroughly dried, they are fit for use.
117. Spirit of Roses
To make the inflammable Spirit of Roses, take twenty pounds of Damask Roses, beat them to a Paste, in a marble mortar; put this Paste, layer by layer, with sea salt, into a large stone jar, or two jars, if one is not large enough to contain the whole quantity; that is to say, sprinkle every layer of the Paste about half an inch thick with Salt; and press the layers of Roses as close together as possible. Cork the jar with a waxed cork, cover the upper-most end of the cork, and the edges of the mouth of the jar, with wax also, and place it six weeks, or two months, in a vault, or some other cool place. At the expiration of this period, open the jar; if it exhales a strong vinous smell, the fermentation has arrived at its proper height; but if you do not perceive such an odour, throw into the jar a little Yeast, and stop it close in the same manner as before. A strong fermentation having been excited, take five or six pounds of your fermented Rose Paste, put it into a common cucurbit, and distil it with a very gentle fire in a vapour-bath. When you have drawn off as much water as you can, unlute the alembic; throw away what remains in the cucurbit, take five or six pounds more of the fermented Paste of Roses, and put it into the cucurbit, with the Water already drawn; distil in a vapour-bath with such a degree of fire, as will cause the distilled Water to run off in a middling sized stream. When you can draw off no more, empty the cucurbit, fill it again with fresh fermented Paste of Roses, and pour on it all the distilled Water that the preceding distillations have produced. Distil as before; and repeat these operations, till you have used all your fermented Paste of Roses. Every time you open the jar, be careful to cork it close, otherwise the most spirituous particles will evaporate. After the last distillation, you will have obtained a very fine scented Water, but not very spirituous, because loaded with a considerable quantity of phlegm; and it must therefore be rectified.
For this purpose make choice of a very long necked glass matrass of a reasonable size, fill it about three parts full with your unrectified Spirit of Roses; fit on a bolt-head, and receiver; lute the joints carefully, and distil in a vapour-bath with a very slow fire. When you have drawn off about a tenth part of what was put into the matrass, let the vessel cool, and set apart the Spirit that is found in the receiver. What remains in the matrass must not be thrown away as useless, for it is a Rose-water far superior to what is prepared according to the usual method.
After the first rectification of a part of the Spirit, repeat the same operation with another part, till the whole is rectified, and then rectify them all together once more. After this last operation, you will obtain a highly penetrating and inflammable Spirit of Roses. The phlegmatic part that remains in the matrass may be added to that procured from the preceding rectifications, and the whole kept for use in a cellar or other cool place in a bottle, well corked.
The scent of inflammable Spirit of Roses is extremely sweet; if only two drops of it are mixed with a glass of Water, they impart to the Water so high a perfume, that it exceeds the very best Rose-water.
118. Inflammable Spirits of all Kinds of Flowers
To distil an inflammable Spirit from Flowers of all kinds, the preceding method must be used; as also to procure one from all kinds of vegetables. Only observe that in plants, and dried flowers, as Thyme, Betony, Mint, Stechas, Violets, and Jasmine, the Seeds must be bruised with the Flowers and Roots; as they also must with the Flowers of the Tuberose Lily, Angelica, Iris; in odoriferous Fruits, as Oranges, Lemons, Citrons, &c. add the Rind of those Fruits to the Flowers; and to the Flowers of Elder, Juniper, Lily of the Valley, and Acacia, &c. add the Berries well moistened; whether green or dry is of no signification.
ESSENCES
119. Method of extracting Essences from Flowers
Procure a wooden box lined with tin, that the wood may not communicate any disagreeable flavour to the Flowers, nor imbibe the Essence. Make several straining frames to fit the Box, each about two inches thick, and drive in them a number of hooks, on which fix a piece of callicoe stretched tight. The utmost care is requisite, to have the straining cloths perfectly clean and dry before they are used.
After having caused the cloths to imbibe as much Oil of Ben as possible, squeeze them a little, then stretch and fix them on the hooks of the frames; put one frame thus completed at the bottom of the box, and upon its cloth strow equally those flowers, the essence of which you intend to extract; cover them with another frame, on the cloth of which you are to strow more flowers, and continue to act in the same manner till the box is quite filled. The frames being each about two inches thick, the flowers undergo very little pressure, though they lye between the cloths. At the expiration of twelve hours, apply fresh flowers in the same manner, and continue so to do for some days. When you think the scent powerful enough, take the cloths from the frames, fold them in four, roll them up, and tie them tight with a piece of whip-cord, to prevent their stretching out too much, then put them into a press, and squeeze out the oil. The press must be lined with tin, that the wood may not imbibe any part of the oil. Place underneath a very clean earthen or glass vessel to receive the essence, which is to be kept in bottles nicely corked.
The essence of one kind of flower only, can be made in a box at the same time, for the scent of one would impair that of another. For the same reason, the cloths that have been used to extract the essence of any particular flower, cannot be used to extract the essence of another, till washed clean in a strong lye, and thoroughly dried in the open air. This method is of great use to obtain the scent of flowers which afford no Essential Oil by distillation, such as Tuberoses, Jasmine, and several others.
120. Or,
Take any flowers you please, and put them in a large jar, layer by layer, mixed with Salt, as directed for inflammable Spirit of Roses, till the jar is quite full; then cork it tight, and let it stand in a cellar, or some other cool place, for forty days; at the expiration of which time, empty the whole into a sieve, or straining cloth, stretched over the mouth of a glazed earthen or stone pan, to receive the essence that drains from the flowers upon squeezing them gently. Afterwards put the essence into a glass bottle, which must not be filled above two thirds; cork it tight, and expose it to the heat of the sun in fine weather, five and twenty or thirty days, to purify the essence, a single drop of which will be capable of scenting a quart of Water or any other Liquid.
121. Essence of Ambergrise
Take of Ambergrise a quarter of an ounce; the same quantity of Sugar Candy; Musk, half a drachm; and Civet, two grains; rub them together, and put the mixture into a Phial: pour upon it a quarter of a pint of tartarised Spirit of Wine, stop close the Phial, which set in a gentle sand heat for four or five days, and then decant the clear Tincture for use. This makes the best of perfumes; the least touch of it leaves its scent upon any thing a great time; and in constitutions where such sweets are not offensive to the head, nothing can be a more immediate Cordial.
122. A Remedy for St. Anthony's Fire or Erysipelatous Eruptions on the Face
Take Narcissus Roots, an ounce; fresh Nettle-seeds, half an ounce; beat them together into a soft Paste with a sufficient quantity of White Wine Vinegar, and anoint the eruptions therewith every night; or, bathe the part affected with the Juice of Cresses.
FLOWERS
123. Manner of drying Flowers, so as to preserve their natural Colours
Take fine White Sand, wash it repeatedly, till it contains not the least earth or salt, then dry it for use. When thoroughly dry, fill a glass or stone jar half full of Sand, in which stick the Flowers in their natural situation, and afterwards cover them gently with the same, about the eighth part of an inch above the Flower. Place the glass in the sun, or, if in winter-time, in a room where a constant fire is kept, till the Flower is perfectly dried. Then remove the Sand with the utmost precaution, and clean the Leaves with a feather brush. Particular Flowers lose in some measure their natural lively colours, but this may be helped by the assistance of art.
Roses and other Flowers of a delicate colour, recover their natural lustre by being exposed to a moderate vapour of Brimstone; but Crimson or Scarlet Flowers, by being exposed to the vapour of a solution of Tin in Spirit of Nitre. The vapour of a solution of Filings of Steel in Spirit of Vitriol, restores to the Leaves and Stalk, their primitive green colour. This method succeeds perfectly well in single Flowers. There are some difficulties with respect to Pinks, Carnations, and other double Flowers; to succeed with them, split the cup on each side, and when the Flower is quire dry, glue it together with Gum-water; or prick the cup in different parts with a large pin.
As to the scent, which is in great measure lost in drying, it may be restored, by dropping into the middle of the Flower a drop of its Essential Oil; for instance, a drop of Oil of Roses on a Rose, Oil of Cloves on a Clove-july-flower, Oil of Jasmine on a Jasmine Flower.
124. A Secret to preserve Flowers
Fill an earthen, copper, or wooden vessel half full of sifted Sand, then fill it up to the brim with clear Spring Water, and stir the Sand well with a stick in order to detach the earthy particles. When the Sand has thoroughly settled, pour off the turbid Water by inclination, add fresh Water, and continue to wash the Sand, till all the Water that floats on its surface remains perfectly clear. The Sand being thus cleansed, expose it to the heat of the sun a sufficient time, to exhale entirely its humidity. Prepare for every Flower an earthen or tin vessel of a proper size, make choice of the finest, most perfect, and driest Flowers of their respective kinds, and be careful to leave the stalks of a good length. Place them upright in the vessel, with one hand as lightly as possible, about two or three inches below the rims, so as not to touch the sides, or each other; and with the other hand gradually pour on them the Sand till the stalk is quite covered; then lightly cover the Flower itself, separating the Leaves a little. The Tulip requires a farther operation. The triangular top that rises out of the middle of the cup, must be cut off, by which means the Leaves of the Flower will adhere better to the Stalk. When the vessel is filled with Flowers, leave it a month or two exposed to the rays of the sun; and the Flowers when taken out, though dry, will be very little inferior in beauty to new-blown Flowers, but will have lost their scent.
125. Another Secret to preserve Flowers
Take the finest River Sand you can get, after having sifted it several times through a fine sieve, throw it into a glass vessel full of clear Water, and rub it a good while between your fingers to render it still finer; then pour off the Water by inclination, and dry the Sand in the sun. The Sand being thus prepared, bury the Flowers gently in it with their Leaves and Stalk, disposing them in such a manner that their form may not be in the least injured. After having thus kept Flowers some time, till their humid particles are entirely evaporated, take them out, and inclose them in bottles, well corked; secure them from all changes of the atmosphere, but let them enjoy a temperate warmth; for if the heat is too great, the colours fade; and if not kept sufficiently warm, the humidity of the Flowers will not wholly evaporate.
126. Another Method of preserving Flowers a long while, in their natural Shape and Colour
Take the finest River Sand, divested of whatever impurities it may contain; then dry it in the sun or a stove, sift it through a sieve, and only make use of the finest part. Procure a Tin Box, or a Wooden Box lined with Tin, of any size you think proper, cover the bottom of the Box three or four inches deep with prepared Sand, and stick in it the Stalks of the Flowers in rows, but in such a manner that none of the Flowers may touch each other, afterwards filling the vacuities between the Stalks with Sand. Then spread the Sand all round the Flowers, which cover with a layer about two or three inches thick. Put this Box in a place exposed to the sun, or in some warm situation, for the space of a month. With respect to Tulips, the pistil that rises in the middle, and contains the Seed, must be dexterously cut out, and the empty space filled with Sand: too many Flowers should not be put into the same Box, nor should the Box be too large.
GLOVES
127. White Gloves Scented With Jasmine after the Italian manner
Take half an ounce of White Wax; dissolve it over a gentle fire in two ounces of Oil of Ben. Dress your skins with this Liquid, dry them on lines, and clean them well with the purest water; when they are dried and properly stretched, make them up into gloves, which are to have the Jasmine Flowers applied to them eight days according to the usual method; then bring them into shape, and fold them smooth. This manner of working them up, communicates to the gloves the property of retaining the scent of the Flowers much better than those that are drest otherwise, and likewise imparts to them the virtue of preserving the hands and arms delicately soft and white.
128. Gloves scented without Flowers
Take an ounce of Liquid Storax, an ounce of Rose-wood, the same quantity of Florentine Orrice, and half an ounce of Yellow Sanders. Beat the three last articles into a very fine powder, and add to it the Storax, with the earths that you use to dye your gloves, and a little Gum Arabic. Then take an equal quantity of Rose and Orange Flower Water, to temper this composition which you lay on your gloves; when they are dry, rub them well, and fold them up; then dress them afresh with a little Gum Water, in which has been dissolved some powder of Florentine Orrice; hang them up to dry, and afterwards bring them into form, and fold them up as fit for use.
129. White Gloves scented with Ketmia or Musk Seed
Take an ounce of Yellow Sanders, an ounce of Florentine Orrice, an ounce of Gum Benjamin, two ounces of Rose-wood, and a drachm of Storax; reduce the whole to fine powder, with as much Ceruss as you choose. Mix them with Rose-water, and dress your gloves with the mixture as neatly as you can for the first coat; then rub them well, and open them when they are thoroughly dry. Use the same for the second coat, with the addition of a little Gum Arabic. For the third coat, levigate on a marble, eight grains of Ketmia Seed, four grains of Civet, a little Oil of Ben, and a very little Gum Tragacanth, dissolved in Rose-water; add to this composition a quarter of a pint of Orange Flower Water; after having applied this third coat to your gloves, bring them into form, before they get thoroughly dry.
130. To colour Gloves a curious French Yellow
Take Chalk and Wood Ashes, of each an equal quantity, and make a strong Lye of them; then strain off the clear Liquor, and simmer it over the fire with a little Turmeric in powder, and a very little Saffron, till it becomes pretty thick; after which set the liquor by to cool, and it is fit for use.