not as a pharmaceutical product, but among perfumery. Of its remedial
qualities we can say nothing, such matter being irrelevant to the
purpose of this book. Considered, however, as a perfume, with the public
taste it ranks very high; and although it is exceedingly volatile and
evanescent, yet it has that excellent quality which is called
"refreshing." Whether this be due to the rosemary or to the spirit, we
cannot say, but think something may be attributed to both. One important
thing relating to Eau de Cologne must not, however, pass unnoticed, and
that is, the quality of the spirit used in its manufacture. The utter
impossibility of making brandy with English spirit in any way to
resemble the real Cognac, is well known. It is equally impossible to
make Eau de Cologne with English spirit, to resemble the original
article. To speak of the "purity" of French spirit, or of the "impurity"
of English spirit, is equally absurd. The fact is, that spirit derived
from grapes, and spirit obtained from corn, have each so distinct and
characteristic an aroma, that the one cannot be mistaken for the other.
The odor of grape spirit is said to be due to the oeanthic ether which
it contains. The English spirit, on the other hand, owes its odor to
fusel oil. So powerful is the oeanthic ether in the French spirit,
that notwithstanding the addition to it of such intensely odoriferous
substances as the ottos of neroli, rosemary, and others, it still gives
a characteristic perfume to the products made containing it, and hence
the difficulty of preparing Eau de Cologne with any spirit destitute of
this substance.

Although very fine Eau de Cologne is often made by merely mixing the
ingredients as indicated in the recipe as above, yet it is better,
first, to mix all the citrine ottos with spirit, and then to distil the
mixture, afterwards adding to the distillate the rosemary and nerolies,
such process being the one adopted by the most popular house at Cologne.