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Fabrication du savon and cahier de distillations notebook
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Held at: Science History Institute Archives [Contact Us]315 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106
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The notebook itself is written in two and possibly three different hands, none of them identified. The first section is an excerpt of which comprises the first thirty-eight pages of the text copied from the work of three eminent chemists, Jean d'Arcet, Jean Pelletier and Claude-Hugues Lelievre. This report, titled 2Rapport sur la fabrication des savons sur leurs différentes espèces, suivant la nature des huiles et des alkalis qu'on emploie pour les fabriquer3 was published in 1795. This report can be found in the Othmer Library's collections. The second portion of the book is comprised of pages headed 2Cahier de Distillations3, and contains recipes for Eaux spiritueuses simples, such as absinthe, mint, orange, jasmine, violet and musk. The manuscript is in the nature of a commonplace book, gathering several useful texts in one place. The fact that it may be the work of more than one anonymous author further suggests that the book was seen as a compendium of useful information rather a finished and coherent work.
This is a quarto notebook covered in green vellum containing 79 leaves and consisting of two sections, one dealing with the manufacture of soaps and the other with distillation of various oils and essences. There are three full-page drawings of the necessary equipment and the work concludes with seven pages of recipes. The notebook carries the inscription Paris 9 de Abril de 1826.
Method of acquisition--Purchase ;; Date of acquisition--2013..
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- Science History Institute Archives