341. GENERAL RULES FOR THE DISTILLATION OF SIMPLE WATERS.

1. Plants and their parts ought to be fresh gathered. When they are directed fresh, such only must be employed; but some are allowed to be used dry, as being easily procurable in this state at all times of the year, though rather more elegant waters might be obtained from them whilst green.

2. Having bruised the subjects a little, pour thereon thrice their quantity of spring water. This quantity is to be diminished or increased, according as the plants are more or less juicy than ordinary.

When fresh and juicy herbs are to be distilled, thrice their weight of water will be fully sufficient, but dry ones require a much larger quantity.

In general, there should be so much water, that after all intended to be distilled has come over, there may be liquor enough to prevent the matter from burning to the still.

3. Formerly, some vegetables were slightly fermented with the addition of yeast, previous to their distillation.

4. If any drops of oil swim on the surface of the water, they are to be carefully taken off. 5. That the waters may be kept the better, about one-twentieth part of their weight of proof spirit may be added to each after they are distilled.

342. STILLS FOR SIMPLE WATERS.

The instruments chiefly used in the distillation of simple waters are of two kinds, commonly called the hot still, or alembic, and the

cold still. The waters drawn by the cold still from plants are much more fragrant, and more fully impregnated with their virtues, than those drawn by the hot still or alembic.

The method is this:-A pewter body is suspended in the body of the alembic, and the head of the still fitted to the pewter body; into this body the ingredients to be distilled are put, the alembic filled with water, the stillhead luted to the pewter body, and the nose luted to the worm of the refrigeratory or worm. The same intention will be answered by putting the ingredients into a glass alembic, and placing it in a bath-heat, or balneum mariæ.

The cold still is much the best adapted to draw off the virtues of simples, which are valued for their fine flavour when green, which is subject to be lost in drying; for when we want to extract a spirit from plants so light and volatile, as not to subsist in open air any longer than while the plant continues in its growth, it is certainly the best method to remove the plant from its native soil, into some proper instrument, where, as it dies, these votile parts may be collected and preserved. And such an instrument is what we call the cold still, where the drying of the plant, or flower, is only forwarded by a moderate warmth, and all that rises is collected and preserved.

343. EXPEDITIOUS MODE OF DISTILLING SIMPLE WATERS.

Tie a piece of muslin or gauze over a glazed earthern pot, whose mouth is just large enough to receive the bottom of a warming-pan; on this cloth lay the herb, clipped; then place upon them the warming-pan, with live coals in it, to cause beat just enough to prevent burning, by which means as the steam issuing out of the herb cannot mount upwards, by reason of the bottom of the pan just fitting the brim of the vessel below it, it must necessarily descend, and collect

into water at the bottom of the receiver, and that strongly impregnated with the essential oil, and the salt of the ve getable thus distilled; which, if wanted to make spirituous or compound water, is easily done, by simply adding some good spirits, or French brandy to it, which will keep good for a long time, and be much better than if the spirits had passed through a still, which must, of necessity, waste some of their strength. Care should be taken not to let the fire be too strong, lest it scorch the plants; and to be made of charcoal, for continuance and better regulation, which must be managed by lifting up and laying down the lid, as wanted to increase or decrease the degrees of heat. The deeper the earthen pan, the cooler the season, and the less fire at first (afterwards to be gradually raised), in the greater perfection will the distilled water be obtained.

As the more moveable, or volatile parts of vegetables, are the aqueous, the oily, the gummy, the resinous, and the saline, these are to be expected in the waters of this process; the heat here employed being so great as to burst the vessels of the plants, some of which contain so large a quantity of oil, that it may be seen swimming on the surface of the

water.

Although a small quantity only of distilled waters can be obtained at a time by this confined operation, yet it compensates in strength what is deficient in quantity. Such liquors, if well corked up from the air, will keep good a long time, especially if about a twentieth part of any spirits be added, in order to preserve the same more effectually.

344. ROSEMARY WATER.

As the method of performing the operation by the cold still is the very same, whatever plant or flower is used, the following instance of procuring a water from rosemary, will be abundantly sufficient to instruct the young practitioner in the manner of conducting the process in all cases what

ever.

Take rosemary, fresh gathered in its perfection, with the morning dew upon it, and lay it lightly and unbruised upon the plate or bottom of the still; cover the plate with its conical head, and apply a glass receiver to the nose of it. Make a small fire of charcoal under the plate, continuing it as long as any liquor comes over into the receiver.

When nothing more comes over, take off the still head, and remove the plant, putting fresh in its stead, and proceed as before; continue to repeat the operation successively, till a sufficient quantity of water is procured. Let this distilled water be kept at rest in clean bottles, close stopped, for some days in a cool place; by this means it will become limpid, and powerfully impregnated with the taste and smell of the plant.

345. SIMPLE ALEXETERIAL WATERS.

Take of spearmint leaves, fresh, 1 lbs. sea wormwood tops, fresh, angelica leaves, fresh, each 1 pound; water, as much as is sufficient to prevent burning. Draw off by distillation 3 gallons.

Or, take of elder flowers, moderately dried, 2 pounds; angelica leaves, fresh gathered, 1 pound; water, a sufficient quantity. Distil off three gallons.

346. SIMPLE PENNYROYAL WATER.

Take of pennyroyal leaves, dry, a pound and a half; water, as much as will prevent burning. Draw off by distillation 1 gallon.

347. SIMPLE SPEARMINT WATER.

Take of spearmint leaves, fresh, any quantity; water, three times as much. Distil as long as the liquor which comes over has a considerable taste or smell of the mint.

Or, take spearmint leaves, dried, 14 lbs., water as much as is sufficient to prevent burning. Draw off by distillation 1 gallon.

348. CINNAMON WATER.

Take of bruised cinnamon, 1 lb.

water, 2 gallons.

Simmer in a still for half an hour, put what comes over into the still again; when cold, strain through flannel.

349. EAU SANS-PAREIL.

Take two gallons of fine old honey-water, put it into a till capable of holding four gallons, and add the thinly pared rinds of six or eight fresh citrons, neither green nor mellow ripe. Then add sixty or seventy drops of fine Roman bergamot; and, having luted the apparatus well, let the whole digest in a moderate heat for twenty-four hours. Draw off, by a water-bath heat, about one gallon.

350. JESSAMINE WATER.

Take six pounds of the white sweet almond cakes, from which jessamine oil has been made abroad; beat and sift them to a fine powder, and put to it as much fresh oil of jessamine as will be required to make it into a stiff paste. Let this paste be dissolved in about six quarts of spring water, which has been previously well boiled, and left until it has become about half cold. Stir and mix the whole well together; and when the oil and water has been well combined, let the whole stand until the powder has fallen to the bottom of the vessel. Now pour the liquid off gently, and filter it through cotton, in a large tin funnel, into the glass bottle in which it is to be kept for use.

The powder or sediment which has been left at the bottom

of the vessel, when dried by the heat of the sun, answers very well for making almond paste for the hands.

351. JAMAICA PEPPER WATER.

Jamaica pepper is the fruit of a tall tree growing in the mountainous parts of Jamaica, where it is much cultivated, because of the great profit arising from the cured fruit, sent in large quantities annually into Europe.

Take of Jamaica pepper, half a pound; water, two gallons and a half; draw off 1 gallon with a pretty brisk fire. The oil of this fruit is very ponderous, and therefore, this water is made in an alembic.

352. MYRTLE WATER.

Infuse eight or ten pounds of the cuttings of green myrtle, in nearly twenty gallons of rain or river water, and add thereto a pint of fresh yeast, after it has stood for twentyfour hours. At the end of another day and night, put the whole into a still, with a pound of bay salt. Draw off the whole of the water; and, next day, infuse more myrtle leaves, as before, and distil again. Repeat the same a third time.

353. ORANGE FLOWER WATER.

Take two pounds of orange flowers, and twenty-four quarts of water, and draw over three pints.

Or, take twelve pounds of orange flowers, and sixteen quarts of water, and draw over fifteen quarts.

354. ORANGE PEEL WATER.

Take of the outward yellow rind of Seville oranges, four ounces; water, three gallons and a half; draw off one gallon by the alembic, with a brisk fire.

355. PEPPERMINT WATER.

Take of the herb of peppermint, dried, 1 lbs.

water, as much as is sufficient to prevent burning: Distil off a gallon. This has been known to allay sickness when nothing else would succeed, and is used in flatulent colics. A wine-glassful may be taken, and often repeated. 356. Another.

Take of oil of peppermint, 1 pound,
water, a sufficient quantity.

Draw off 30 gallons. This is stimulant and carminative; and covers disagreeable flavours.

357. PORTUGAL AND ANGEL WATERS.

Take a pint of orange-flower water, a pint of rose-water, and half a pint of myrtle-water; to these put a quarter of an ounce of distilled spirit of musk, and an ounce of