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Distilled Waters (Plied the oil or essential)

plied, the oil, or essential water, is to be obtained | heat just warm enough to prevent burning; by in the common way. Both the oil and water are in th.: way produced in greater quantity than by using the leaves without the salt; besides, the preserved paste will keep its flavor and strength unimpared for several years.

Other flowers, capable of affording essential oils, may also be treated in the above-mentioned way with economy and advantage; as there is thereby no occasion to carry on a hurried process in the heat of summer, when these are in perfection.

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 its quantity of spring -water. This quantity is to be diminished or increased according as the plants are more or less juicy than ordinary. than ordinary .

When fresh and juicy herbs are to be distilled, thrice their weight of water will be 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 burnfrom burning to the still. 3. Formerly, some vegetables were slightly fermented with the addition of yeast, previous to the 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.

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 still-head luted to the pewter body, and the nose luted to the worm of the refriof the refrigerator 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 maræ.

The cold still is much the best adapted to draw off the virtues of simples which are valued for their fine flavor when green, which is subject to be lost in drying; for when we want to extract from plants a spirit 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 volatile parts can 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.

Expeditious Method of Distilling Simple Waters.

Tie a piece of muslin or gauze over a glazed earthen 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 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 vegetable 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 dethe degrees of heat. The deeper the earthen pan, the cooler the season, and the less fire at first (afterat first (afterwards to be gradually raised), in the greater perraised), in the greater perfection will the distilled water be obtained. As the more movable 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 a good long time, especially if about a twentieth part of any spirits be added, in order to preserve the same more effectually.

To make 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 whatever.

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 reto 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 cold place; by this means it will become limpid, and powerfully impregnated with the taste and smell of the plant.

Simple Alexetereal Waters.

Take of spearmint leaves, fresh, 1½ lbs.; sea wormwood tops, fresh, angelica leaves, fresh, each 1 lb.; water, as much as is sufficient to prevent burning. Draw off by distillation 3 galls. Or take of elder-flowers moderately dried, 2 lbs.; angelica leaves, fresh gathered, 1 lb.; water, a sufficient quantity. Distill off 3 galls.

Distill off 3 galls.

Simple Pennyroyal Water.

Take of pennyroyal leaves, dry, 1½ lbs.; water as much as will prevent burning. Draw off by distillation 1 gall.

Simple Spearmint Water.