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

The method of perfuming grease by the direct process with flowers having already been described under the respective names of the flowers that impart the odor thereto, it remains now only to describe those compounds that are made from them, together with such incidental matter connected with this branch of perfumery as has not been previously mentioned. ACACIA POMADE, commonly called CASSIE POMATUM, is made with a purified body-grease, by maceration with the little round yellow buds of the Acacia Farnesiana. Black currant leaves, and which the French term cassie, have an odor very much resembling cassie (acacia), and are used extensively for adulterating the true acacia pomades and oils. The near similarity of name, their analogous odor (although the plants have no botanical connection), together with the word cassia, a familiar perfume in England, has produced generally confused ideas in this country as to the true origin of the odor now under discussion. Cassie, casse, cassia, it will be understood now, are three distinct substances; and in order to render the matter more perspicuous in future, the materials will always be denominated ACACIA, if prepared from the Acacia Farnesiana; CASSE, when from black currant; and CASSIA, if derived from the bark of the Cinnamomum Cassia.