1868 The complete Practical Distiller

CORDIALS AND COMPOUNDS.

187

SOME GENERAL DIRECTIONS FOR THE PRE- PARATION OF VARIOUS CORDIALS, COM- POUNDS, &c. The perfection of this grand branch of distillation depends upon the observance of the following rules, easy to be observed and practised : — The artist must always be careful to use a well-cleaned spirit, or one freed from its own essential oil. For as a compound cordial is nothing more than a spirit impregnated with the essential oil of the ingredient, it becomes necessary that this spirit should have deposited its own. Let the time of previous diges- tion be proportioned to the tenacity of the ingredients, or the ponderosity of their oil. Thus, cloves and cinnamon require a longer digestion before they are distilled than calamus aromaticus or orange-peel. Sometimes cohobation is necessary 3 for instance, in making the strong cinnamon cordial, because the essential oil of cinnamon is so extremely ponderous that it is difficult to bring over the helm with the spirit without cohobation. Let the strength of the fire be pro- portioned to the ponderosity of the oil intended to be raised with the spirit. Thus, for instance, the strong cinnamon cordial requires a much greater degree of heat than those from lax vege- tables, as mint, balm, &c. Let a due proportion of the finest parts of the essential oil be united with the spirit — the grosser and less fra- grant parts of the oil not giving the spirit so agreeable a