Perfumes and their preparation : Containing complete directions for making handkerchief perfumes, smelling-salts, sachets, fumigating pastils

In Short

This comprehensive nineteenth-century manual transforms perfumery from an empirical art into an exact chemical science. George William Askinson systematically surveys raw vegetable materials, advanced extraction machinery, and precise liquid or dry formulations. Moving from raw botanical harvesting to complex chemical syntheses, the text delivers exact recipes for handkerchief extracts, scented vinegars, cold-creams, pomades, and cosmetics. It endures as a definitive historical treatise that bridged ancient artisanal traditions with modern chemical manufacturing, establishing rigorous standards for material purity, scent extraction, and product testing that shaped the commercial cosmetics industry.

The Story

The text begins by analyzing the rapid advancements transforming nineteenth-century perfumery. Askinson argues that success no longer depends on guesswork or traditional lore, but on understanding the chemical and physical traits of raw aromatic substances. A firm foundation requires pure solvent bases—alcohol, fixed fats, and volatile hydrocarbons—before processing volatile aromatic materials. The work systematically surveys the vegetable kingdom, categorizing aromatic substances found in flowers, fruits, seeds, roots, and barks. It meticulously details botanicals ranging from citron flowers and cherry-laurel leaves to regional Indian grasses like citronella, lemon grass, and vetiver, alongside Asian spices like star-anise and cloves.

To turn these natural products into commercial goods, the text explains the mechanics of extraction. Askinson details heat distillation, volatile solvent extraction, and mechanical apparatuses, such as industrial units for producing pure carbon bisulphide. He outlines methods for capturing fragile floral scents that cannot endure heat: cold absorption or enfleurage, where fresh blossoms rest on lard-coated glass plates in wooden frames, and alcoholic extraction of pomades through mechanical expression. Moving into processing, the text addresses industrial adulteration. Because market demand invites sophisticated deceptions, Askinson details physical and chemical tests to detect impurities—such as paraffin added to rose oil or nitrobenzol replacing bitter almond oil—emphasizing that trained olfactory evaluation against genuine reference samples remains an irreplaceable defense.

The central portion transitions into a rich recipe book for commercial formulations. Askinson provides precise operational ratios for iconic handkerchief perfumes, including Cologne waters, lavender waters, and complex floral extracts like narcissus, jonquille, and patchouly. The scope widens to dry perfumes, tracing historical incense from ancient Egyptian tombs to modern sachet powders, while providing practical rules for shade-drying fragrant leaves to preserve volatile oils.

Finally, the text covers cosmetic chemistry, providing clear instructions for preparing toilet soaps, face powders, cold-creams, and hair oils. Askinson outlines delicate emulsification techniques, exemplified by amandine made from lard, potash lye, and almond oil, while addressing coloring agents derived from natural sources like saffron, carmine, and alkanet. The work finishes with a thorough catalog of chemical properties, densities, and congealing points across essential oils, providing a complete industrial reference guide.

How It Unfolds

The foundation of modern perfumery Askinson attributes the rapid progress of perfumery to scientific breakthroughs in physical and chemical testing. Access to synthetic materials and a clearer understanding of crude botanicals elevate the craft beyond guesswork into a precise industrial science.

Surveying the vegetable kingdom The text catalogings aromatic plant parts, distinguishing the unique essences produced by flowers, leaves, barks, and roots. Detailed entries break down commercial grasses, fruits, and resinous woods, establishing clear botanical classifications to clear up common market confusion.

Engineering the extraction process Detailed mechanical descriptions explain how to isolate volatile aromatics using specialized apparatuses, volatile solvents, and thermal distillation. For delicate scents, Askinson details cold absorption through enfleurage on glass plates and the alcoholic extraction of perfumed pomades.

Exposing commercial adulteration Addressing widespread market fraud, the text outlines practical methods to detect adulterated essential oils. Askinson emphasizes that while physical and chemical tests are vital, a trained nose evaluated against pure reference samples remains essential.

Formulating fluid and dry perfumes The work provides precise recipes for classical handkerchief extracts, Colognes, and scented vinegars alongside historical dry sachets and incense. Clear guidelines explain how to properly dry aromatic plants to protect fragile volatile oils from resinification.

Manufacturing cosmetics and preparations The narrative concludes with operational instructions for crafting luxury soaps, face powders, pomades, and cold-creams. Askinson details exact emulsification steps for products like amandine while detailing natural dyes used to color fine cosmetics.

The People

George William Askinson As the author and expert voice, Askinson seeks to transform perfumery from a secretive, empirical trade into a standardized chemical discipline. He opposes adulteration, imprecise terminology, and wasteful manufacturing methods, urging readers to adopt rigorous chemical testing and systematic factory procedures.

The Large-Scale Manufacturer Represented as the modern protagonist of the trade, the industrial manufacturer stands "behind the scenes" with access to analytical chemistry and pure raw materials. Driven by consistency, efficiency, and scale, this figure relies on synthetic innovations and pure chemical constituents rather than empirical tradition.

The Dilettante in Perfumery Positioned as the novice amateur, the dilettante represents traditional, trial-and-error perfumery. Lacking formal chemical training and raw material analysis, this figure is vulnerable to purchasing adulterated oils and suffering failed extractions.

The Unscrupulous Manufacturer The primary legal and technical adversary in the text, this market actor profit from fake or diluted essential oils. They adulterate expensive rose oil with cheaper geranium grass, dilute caraway with turpentine, and substitute synthetic nitrobenzol for bitter almond oil, forcing legitimate perfumers to maintain strict quality standards.

In Its Own Voice

Context: Askinson explains how modern chemical insights have eliminated trial-and-error methods in perfume manufacturing.

"A better knowledge has also been gained of the sources of the commercial varieties of many of the crude products, and a better insight into the conditions affecting their qualities or properties."

Context: The text details the cold absorption process used to capture delicate floral scents without using heat.

"The fat (lard) is spread to a thickness of about one-quarter inch on glass plates G one yard long and two feet wide, which are inserted in wooden frames R and sprinkled with flowers F."

Context: Askinson warns readers about widespread market fraud and explains how to evaluate commercial essential oils.

"The demonstrate of the adulteration of an essential oil by chemical means offers many difficulties."

What It's Really About

Below its practical recipes, the book explores the tension between empirical craft and modern industrial science. Askinson argues that perfumery must evolve from an secretive art into an exact chemical discipline built on standardized principles. The text tackles the widespread problem of market fraud, showing how commercial deception threatens quality and consumer trust.

It also tracks how global trade routes, tropical exploration, and synthetic chemistry transformed standard manufacturing. Ultimately, the work frames scent creation as a balance between botanical harvesting and laboratory precision, where natural essences are refined through physical chemistry.

Why Read It Today

Perfumes and Their Preparation offers an engaging look into nineteenth-century industrial science, appeals to historic cosmetic formulators, clean-beauty enthusiasts, and historians of science. Readers gain direct access to classic recipes for Colognes, lavender waters, cold-creams, and sachet powders, framed by clear practical explanations. The text reveals the roots of modern commercial cosmetics, tracing how today's synthetic fragrance industry built upon classical botanical extraction.

The reading experience is remarkably clear, technical, and direct. Askinson writes with systematic precision, avoiding poetic filler in favor of exact chemical measurements, structural diagrams, and clear formulas. The primary challenge for modern readers lies in its historical terminology and outdated chemical equipment, such as industrial carbon bisulphide generators or lead-based compounds once used in cosmetics.

Furthermore, historical trade routes and colonial plant harvesting reflect typical nineteenth-century perspectives. Yet, Askinson's dedication to quality, analytical precision, and honest craft remains timeless, making this text an enduring guide to classical fragrance design.