ATTAR OF RO'SES, or OTTO OF ROSES. The volatile oil of the petals of some species of rose. It is a nearly colorless or light yellow crystalline solid at temperature below SO° F., liquefying a little above that temperature. It is imported from the East, where, in Syria, Per sia, India, as well as in Turkey and Bulgaria, roses are cultivated to a considerable extent for the sake of the attar. In recent years it has also been prepared on a considerable scale in the northern European countries. The oil has been obtained from several species of rose. The Rosa centifolia is cultivated in Western Asia; the Rosa damaseena is cultivated in Bul garia. To procure the attar the rose petals are usually distilled with about twice their weight of water, and the distillate is exposed to the cool night air in open vessels, from which the thin film of attar is skimmed with a feather in the morning. One part, by weight, of the oil is obtained from 3000 parts, by weight, of rose petals. Attar is said to have been first procured by what may be called an accidental distillation, rose-petals having been exposed with water to the heat of the sun, and to have been found floating on the surface of the water: and it is still sometimes obtained in India by such a proc ess. It is said to be also obtained by dry dis tillation of rose-petals at a low temperature. During the distillation of rose-petals a small quantity of a solid volatile oil comes over (solid oil of roses, see below), which crystallizes and floats on the water in the receiver, and which is sometimes called English oil of roses. Attar of
roses is not unfrequently adulterated with san dal-wood oil, oil of rhodium, geranium oil, etc. It is much used for making hair-oil, a drop of it being enough to impart a pleasant odor to a considerable quantity. It is also used in making lavender water and other perfumes. The odor of attar itself is too powerful to he altogether pleasant. Attar of roses is a mixture of two substances, the one solid at ordinary tempera tures and the other liquid. The solid oil of- roses (rose-camphor, stearopten of oil of roses) pos sesses no odor, is insoluble in alcohol, but solu ble in ether. It is composed of carbon'and hy drogen. The liquid oil of roses, called rhoilinal feleopten of oil of roses), is a very fragrant liquid, to which the attar of roses is indebted for its delicious perfume, and consists of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Its composition is repre sented by the formula and it is believed to be identical with citral. The principal use to which attar of roses is put is as a perfume. Milk of roses and lavender.water owe their fra grance to the presence of the ftttar. A good receipt for oil for the hair is olive oil, colored by alkanet, and scented by a few drops of attar, and this is very generally sold under the name of attar of roses. Medicines are occasionally perfumed by attar of roses, and it is sometimes added to unguents and spirit-washes. See PER FUMERY.