the best when prepared with spirit derived from the latter source. Musk,
ambergris, civet, violet, tubereuse, and jasmine, if we require to
retain their true aroma when in solution in alcohol, must be made with
the British spirit.

All the citrine odors, verveine, vulnerary waters, Eau de Cologne, Eau
de Portugal, Eau d'Arquebuzade, and lavender, can alone be brought to
perfection by using the French spirit in their manufacture. If extract
of jasmine, or extract of violet, &c., be made with the French or brandy
spirit, the true characteristic odor of the flower is lost to the
olfactory nerve--so completely does the oeanthic ether of the grape
spirit hide the flowery aroma of the otto of violet in solution with it.
This solves the paradox that English extract of violet and its
compounds, "spring flowers," &c., is at all times in demand on the
Continent, although the very flowers with which we make it are grown
there.

On the contrary, if an English perfumer attempts to make Eau de
Portugal, &c., to bear any comparison as a fine odor to that made by
Lubin, of Paris, without using grape spirit, his attempts will prove a
failure. True, he makes Eau de Portugal even with English corn spirit,
but judges of the article--and they alone can stamp its merit--discover
instantly the same difference as the connoisseur finds out between
"Patent British" and foreign brandy.

Perhaps it may not be out of place here to observe that what is sold in
this country as British brandy is in truth grape spirit, that is,
foreign brandy very largely diluted with English spirit! By this scheme,
a real semblance to the foreign brandy flavor is maintained; the
difference in duty upon English and foreign spirit enables the makers of
the "capsuled" article to undersell those who vend the unsophisticated
Cognac.

Some chemists, not being very deep in the "tricks of trade," have
thought that some flavoring, or that oeanthic ether, was used to
impart to British spirit the Cognac aroma. An article is even in the
market called "Essence of Cognac," but which is nothing more than very
badly made butyric ether.

On the Continent a great deal of spirit is procured by the fermentation
of the molasses from beet-root; this, of course, finds its way into the
market, and is often mixed with the grape spirit; so, also, in England
we have spirit from potatoes, which is mixed in the corn spirit. These
adulterations, if we may so term it, modify the relative od