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Toilet Preparations: Smelling

Smelling Salts. - The base of the best quality of smelling salts is the true neutral carbonate of ammonia.

This is a volatile salt which keeps its pungency as long as it lasts. The portion exposed to the air as it volatilizes separates into carbonic-acid gas and gaseous ammonia. Care should be taken in ordering to procure the true carbonate of ammonia and not the sesquicarbonate, which does not possess an equally strong, agreeable, or lasting pungency.

Smelling salts may be prepared by putting the carbonate of ammonia in a suitable glass bottle with a stopper TOILET PREPARATIONS of ground glass, and adding any desired perfume, as 8 parts of carbonate of ammonia to 1 part of oil of lavender, or a suitable quantity of other essential oils, as bergamot, cloves, cassia, verbena, and the like.

Or put equal quantities of slaked lime and carbonate of ammonia in a glass-stoppered bottle, cover with aqua ammonia, and add 12 to 20 drops of any desired essential oil or oils.

Or put in a glass-stoppered bottle absorbent cotton or a small sponge cut up into fine pieces. Fill with common liquid ammonia, and add 5 or 6 drops each of various essential oils according to taste.