flowers are made, such as milk of elder, extract of elder, &c., which will be found in their proper place under Cosmetics.  Two or three new materials made from this flower will also be given hereafter, which are likely to meet with a very large sale on account of the reputed cooling qualities of the ingredients; of these we would call attention more particularly to cold cream of elder-flowers, and to elder oil for the hair.

The preparations of elder-flowers, if made according to the Pharmacopoeias, are perfectly useless, as the forms therein given show an utter want of knowledge of the properties of the materials employed.

FENNEL (Foeniculum vulgare).—­Dried fennel herb, when ground, enters into the composition of some sachet powders.  The oil of fennel, in conjunction with other aromatic oils, may be used for perfuming soap.  It is procurable by distillation.

FLAG (SWEET) (Acorus calamus).—­The roots, or rhizome, of the sweet flag, yield by distillation a pleasant-smelling oil; 1 cwt. of the rhizome will thus yield one pound of oil.  It can be used according to the pleasure of the manufacturer in scenting grease, soap, or for extracts, but requires other sweet oils with it to hide its origin.

GERANIUM (Pelargonium odoratissimum, rose-leaf geranium).—­The leaves of this plant yield by distillation a very agreeable rosy-smelling oil, so much resembling real otto of rose, that it is used very extensively for the adulteration of that valuable oil, and is grown very largely for that express purpose.  It is principally cultivated in the south of France, and in Turkey (by the rose-growers).  In the department of Seine-et-Oise, at Montfort-Lamaury, in France, hundreds of acres of it may be seen growing. 1 cwt. of leaves will yield about two ounces of essential oil.  Used to adulterate otto of rose, it is in its turn itself adulterated with ginger grass oil (Andropogon), and thus formerly was very difficult to procure genuine; on account of the increased cultivation of the plant, it is now, however, easily procured pure.  Some samples are greenish-colored, others nearly white, but we prefer that of a brownish tint.

When dissolved in rectified spirit, in the proportion of about six ounces to the gallon, it forms the “extract of rose-leaf geranium” of the shops.  A word or two is necessary about the oil of geranium, as much confusion is created respecting it, in consequence of there being an oil under the name of geranium, but which in reality is derived from the Andropogon nardus, cultivated in the Moluccas.  This said andropogon (geranium!) oil can be used to adulterate the true geranium, and hence we suppose its nomenclature in the drug markets.  The genuine rose-leaf geranium oil fetches about 6_s._ per ounce, while the andropogon oil is not worth more than that sum per pound.  And we may observe here, that the perfuming essential oils are best purchased through the wholesale perfumers, as from the nature of their trade they have a better knowledge and means of obtaining the real article than the drug-broker.  On account of the pleasing odor of the true oil of rose-leaf geranium, it is a valuable article for perfuming many materials, and appears to give the public great satisfaction.