Distilled aromatic waters have a finer flavour than those prepared by the mixture method, and in some cases, notably rose-water, the odour of the extemporaneous preparation is quite different from the distilled. Various substances of an alkaline-earthy nature are added to the oils in the mixture method in order to render them soluble, and, as has been shown by Shuttleworth, these substances generally keep back a portion of the oil, so that the water takes up no more, or little more, than it would do if the earthy powder were not added. It should also be remembered that the powder dissolves to some extent, and therefore affects mixtures containing alkaloids and other substances precipitable by alkalies. Cases are actually recorded in which strychnine has been precipitated in a mixture with peppermint-water made by the magnesium-carbonate method. Such mishaps may be obviated by the use of B.P. waters or substitutes made by either of the following processes.

The amount of oil used in most cases is 1 part to 500 of water (say, a drop to the ounce), which is sufficient to saturate water. The simplest plan is to put 2 drachms of the essential oil into a gallon earthenware jar, and pour upon it 120 ounces of boiling distilled water. Allow to stand for a few minutes, then cork and shake well, repeating the shaking occasionally until the water is cold. Then set aside for twelve hours and draw off the clear water. This has an excellent aroma. A second method is : Prepare a solution of 6 drachms of essential oil in 4 ounces of rectified spirit (90-per-cent.), and of this add 1 ounce to 4 pints of water. Shake well, and allow to stand until clear, then syphon off the clear water.

The earthy powders which are most used for rendering essential oils soluble are light carbonate of magnesium, powdered pumice-stone, kaolin, silica, phosphate of calcium, and talc (French chalk). The method to be followed for a pint of any water is to dissolve from 20 to 40 minims of the oil in four times as much spirit, add an ounce of water, and triturate with \ ounce of any of the powders (2 drachms of magnes. carb. levis is enough), then add the rest of the water, transfer to the bottle, shake occasionally for an hour, and filter. The most objectionable powder is magnesia, and the least objectionable is finely pulverised white talc, washed with hot water slightly acidulated with hydrochloric acid, then with hot water only to remove acid, and dried for use. Talc powder may be used by adding \ ounce of it to the cloudy mixture (such as is formed by shaking up 3ss. of ol. anethi and 3ij. of S.V.R. in a quart of water) and filtering through paper, or a talc filter may be prepared in the following manner : Make a double filter out of white filtering-paper and insert it in a glass funnel; mix about \ ounce of talc with 1 pint of hot water in a bottle, shake well and pour upon the filter, taking care so to distribute the mixture that the entire filter from bottom to top is evenly covered with the fine powder ; the water will rapidly pass off perfectly clear, after which the filter is ready for filtering any cloudy mixture.

The same filter may be used frequently for the same water.

It is generally objected that alcohol should not be employed in making aromatic waters, because, in the small proportion employed, it is exceedingly liable to become changed into acetic acid. Concentrated waters are weak alcoholic solutions of the essential oils, about ten times stronger than the waters, yet ' 1 to 40.'