302

PAIN

the powder is as soft and as white as you could wish, dry it in aplace where it is not exposed to dust; sift it through a silken sieve,which will make it still finer. It may be either left in powder, orwetted and formed into cakes like those sold by the perfumers. Onepint of vinegar is sufficient to dissolve a pound of chalk. This whitemay be used in the same manner as carmine. If the ointment withwhich it is applied is properly made, this paint does no injury to theface. The same ingredients may be used for making rouge.Pearl Powder. Of these powders there are several sorts; the first andfinest is a magistery made from real pearls, and is the least hurtfulto the skin. It gives the most beautiful appearance, but is usuallytoo dear for common sale or use: still the good perfumer ought neverto be without it, for the use of the curious and the rich.Imitated by other kinds of powder, some of which are made frommother-of-pearl, and some from oyster-shells; hut, as the magisterymade from these is never so impalpably fine as the former, theyleave a shining appearance on the face, which shows the art that hasbeen used on the very first view.Bismuth Pearl-Powder, which can be made next in quality to thegenuine sort above-mentioned, is as follows: Take Jiv of the whitestand driest subnitrate of bismuth, and ^ij of fine starch-powder;mix them well together, and put them into a subsiding glass, whichis wide at the top and narrow at the bottom. Then pour over thema pint and a half of proof spirits, and shake and stir the whole well ;after which let them remain together, to subside for a day or two.When all the powder has fallen to the bottom, pour off the spiritfrom it quite dry; and then place the glass in the heat of the sun,in order to evaporate any remaining moisture. Then turn out thewhite mass, which will be in the shape of a cone; all the dirtyparts, if any, forming the top or small end, which are carefully tobe scraped off, and the remaining part of the cake is to be againpulverized, and to have more proof spirit poured over it. Nowproceed, in all respects, as before; and if there be any moisture re-maining a second time, the cone is to be placed on a large piece ofchalk, made very smooth, to absorb all its moisture. Now cover thewhole with a bell-glass, to preserve the compound from dust and dirt,and set it in the heat of the sun, which, if it be very hot, will soondry and whiten it. After this, grind the mass with a muller on amarble stone; and keep the powder in a glass bottle, having aground stopper, free from any communication with external air.This powder is apt, however, to blacken on the face, as may be shownby experiment. Place a little oxide of bismuth on a dish, and pourover it some Harrowgate water. Its beautiful white colour will in-