CHAP. LXIV.
Of the Tincture, or Essence of Ambergrise,
Musk and Civet.
1. Authors have been long divided with regard to the Origin of Ambergrise; some taking it for a vegetable Juice, which either dropped into the Water from the Trunks or Branches of some Trees growing on the Sea-coast, or exudated from their Roots which ran out of the Earth into the Sea; some for an animal Production, and formed either by a secret Process from Honey-combs, or the Dung of Birds; and others have very circumstantially recorded that it is produced in the Whale. These Opinions are however now looked upon as false; Ambergrise being universally allowed to be a Mineral Production, of the Number of Bitumens. It is a light and frothy Substance, which generally bubbles up out of the Earth in a fluid Form, principally under Water, where it is by Degrees hardened into the Masses we see it in.
Ambergrise in its natural, or common Form is a lax and coarse Substance of an irregular Structure, friable, and so light as to swim upon Water. It is of a pale gray Colour, with a faint Tinge of brown in it; but Pieces perfectly and uniformly of this Colour are rare, what we usually meet with is composed of whitish, yellowish, and blackish Granules; and in Proportion as there is more or less of this whitish Matter in these Masses, it is more or less scented and valuable. It is found in Pieces of perfectly irregular Figures, and from the Bigness of a Pea to those of ten, twenty, or more Pounds; nay there have been Masses found of more than two Hundred Weight.
It should be chosen in clean and not over friable Pieces, of a pale grey Colour, and as uniform as possible in its Structure, with small black Specks within.
There are two Sorts of Essences made from this Perfume; one without Addition of any other odoriferous Substance, and the other from Ambergrise compounded with Musk and Civet.
Recipe for making the Essence of Ambergrise.
Take of Ambergrise and white Sugar-candy, of each three Drams; grind them well together in a Glass Mortar, adding to them by slow Degrees, five Ounces of rectified Spirit of Wine, digest the whole in a Martrass (represented Fig. 8.) well stopped for four Days, and then separate the clear Tincture or Essence, which keep in a Bottle well stopt for use.
Recipe for making the compound Essence of Ambergrise.
Take of Ambergrise and white Sugar-candy of each two Drams; Musk twelve Grains; Civet two Grains; grind all these well together in a Glass Mortar, adding by Degrees four Ounces of rectified Spirit of Wine; digest and separate the clear Essence for use, as in the preceding Recipe.
2. Musk is a dry, light, and friable Substance; of a dark blackish Colour, with some Tinge of a purplish or blood Colour in it. It is soft, and somewhat smooth and unctuous to the Touch, and of a highly perfumed Smell. It is brought to us sewed up in a Kind of Bladders or Cases of Skin, covered with a brownish Hair, which are the real Bags in which the Musk is lodged while on the Animal. Musk should be chosen of a very strong Scent, and in dry sound Bladders; and must be kept close shut down in a Leaden Box, by which means it will retain its Smell, and not grow too dry.
Recipe for making the Essence of Musk.
Take of Musk and white Sugar-candy of each one Dram; rub them well together in a Marble Mortar, adding by Degrees during the rubbing five Ounces of rectified Spirit of Wine: Put the whole into a Matrass, digest three Days in a gentle Heat, and pour off the clear Essence, which keep in a Bottle well stopt for use. Some add a few Grains of Civet to their Essence of Musk, which considerably augments the Fineness of the perfume.
3. Civet is produced, like Musk, in Bags growing to the lower Part of the Belly of an Animal. It is of different Colours from a pure lively whitish, to a black; but the nearer it approaches to the white the better it is; of an extremely strong Smell, and a bitterish pungent Taste.
The Essence of Civet is rarely used alone, but of great service in making Additions to other odoriferous Waters, and therefore I shall here give the Method of making it.
Recipe for making the Essence of Civet.
Take of Civet and double refined Sugar, of each two Drams; rub them well together in a Glass Mortar, adding by Degrees five Ounces of rectified Spirit of Wine: Put the whole into a Matrass, digest three Days in a gentle Heat, and pour off the clear Essence for use. Tho’ the Essences in this Chapter are, properly speaking, Chemical Preparations, and therefore foreign to the Business of the Distiller; yet as they are often added to perfumed Waters, and easily made, I thought the above Recipes would not be unacceptable to the Reader.