Acetic Perfumes.
See ‘The Pharmageddon Herbal’. Solvents and Their General Properties Section 8.30. Vinegar and Acetic Acid.
Beasley. The Druggists Receipt Book 1872.
Compiled and Edited by Ivor Hughes.
ACETIC PERFUMES.
AROMATIC SPIRIT OF VINEGAR.
1. Strong acetic acid 16 oz., camphor 1 oz.; when dissolved, add 1 oz. each of essential oils of cloves, lavender, and lemon. This is said to resemble HENRY’S.
2. Glacial acetic acid 8 oz., true oil of rosemary 20 gr., of bergamot 15 gr., of, lavender 9 gr., of cloves 24 gr., neroli 4 gr., cinnamon 20; dissolve the oils in 2 dr. of rectified spirit.
AROMATIC VINEGARS
are made in France by infusing various flowers, &c., in distilled or finest wine vinegars, with or without the addition of spirit. Others are made by distillation. As they are seldom required in this country, a few examples will suffice.
ROSE VINEGAR.
Red roses, picked and dried, ? lb, best vinegar 8 lb; macerate for a fortnight, with occasional stirring, and strain; then filter.
LAVENDER VINEGAR
. Fresh lavender-flowers 1 lb, vinegar 12 lb. Macerate as above. It is sometimes distilled, drawing off 8 lb.
DISTILLED ROSE VINEGAR
. Pale roses, dried, 2 lb, distilled vinegar 8 lb. Distil three fourths by sand-bath, and add 2 lb of spirit of roses. It is occasionally coloured with cochineal, and used as a cosmetic.
TOILET VINEGAR.
Dried rose leaves 4 oz, otto of roses 90 drops, rectified spirit 10 oz, dilute acetic acid 40 oz. Macerate in a closed vessel for 14 days. — PIESSE.
ORANGE FLOWER VINEGAR.
Fresh orange-flowers l? lb, distilled vinegar 8 lb, spirit of orange-flowers 1 lb. Macerate for 12 days, strain and filter.
VINAIGRE VIRGINAL.
benzoin in powder 2 oz., rectified spirit 8 oz., white vinegar 2 lb. Digest the benzoin in the spirit for 6 days, strain, and add the vinegar to the residue; macerate for 6 days, decant, and add to it the tincture. The next day filter. It is chiefly used as a cosmetic.
VINAIGRE DE COLOGNE
. To each pint of eau de Cologne add an ounce of strong acetic acid.
VINAIGRE DE JOUVENCE.
Spirit of cucumber 4 oz., spirit of storax 2 lb, strong vinegar 8 lb.
VINAIGRE DE “FLORE.
Equal parts of rose vinegar, vinaigre virginal, and orange-flower vinegar.
VINAIGRE DES QUATRE VOLEURS.
* Four Thieves’ vinegar. Dried tops of large and small (pontic) wormwood, rosemary, sage, mint, rue, lavender flowers, of each 2oz.; calamus root, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, garlic, of each ? oz.; camphor ? oz., concentrated acetic acid 2 oz., strong vinegar 8 lb. Macerate the herbs, &c., in the vinegar for a fortnight, strain, press, and add the camphor dissolved in the acetic acid.
* At the time of the great Bubonic plague in Europe it is given that four thieves were apprehended robbing the bodies of the dead, yet did so with impunity, seemingly immune from the plague. In return for their freedom they volunteered the above recipe which was named for them.