The Art of Perfumery, and Methods of Obtaining the Odors of Plants

Although very fine Eau de Cologne is often made by merely mixing the ingredients as indicated in the recipe as above, yet it is better, first, to mix all the citrine ottos with spirit, and then to distil the mixture, afterwards adding to the distillate the rosemary and nerolies, such process being the one adopted by the most popular house at Cologne. A great many forms for the manufacture of Eau de Cologne have been published, the authors of some of the recipes evidently having no knowledge, in a practical sense, of what they were putting by theory on paper; other venturers, to show their lore, have searched out all the aromatics of Lindley's Botany, and would persuade us to use absinthe, hyssop, anise, juniper, marjoram, caraway, fennel, cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, serpolet, angelica, cloves, lavender, camphor, balm, peppermint, galanga, lemon thyme, &c. &c. &c. All these, however, are but hum--! Where it is a mere matter of profit, and the formula that we have given is too expensive to produce the article required, it is better to dilute the said Cologne with a weak spirit, or with rose-water, rather than otherwise alter its form; because, although weak, the true aroma of the original article is retained. The recipe of the second quality of Eau de Cologne is given, to show that a very decent article can be produced with English spirit.