HERB - Distilling oils

[Kathleen H. Keeler]

Re: distilling and essential oils

I checked an aromatherapy reference book in the health food store: they had
a complex flow chart making essential oils by extracting into alcohol or
other solvents, distilling, and other methods I don't remember.  They also
said essential oils were any of the characteristic chemicals of plants in
relatively pure form.
  Distilling works to isolate one chemical from a complex when they
vaporize at different temperatures.  You heat until the desired chemical
vaporizes, use a lid or jar to keep it from dispersing into the air, cool
it to collect it.
   I believe distillation as we know it (the above discussion) was first
understood by Arab scientists, maybe as early as 1000 AD, but it reached
western Europe about 1200, and caught on very very fast.  They distilled
wine into stronger alcohols, distilled plant essential oils, began making
liqueurs and brandies.
  A wonderful book is The Book of Quintessence, which I found in the
UCalif. Berkeley library:  the quintessence is the 5 times distilled wine,
and, in the writer's view, the perfect liquid for just about everything--in
particular for putting medicines in.  The stuff is rather fantastic, but I
think its a valid period source telling it honestly (Not all extant Period
books are, of course).
   Distilling stuff (the equipment) is hard to come by because of the
regulations on distilled alcohols and because its moderately dangerous
(heating liquids, potentially toxic gases--the student across from me in
organic chemistry blew up his distillation aparatus: some kind of uneven
heating problem,I guess but very messy and dangerous).
   The Aromatherapy book, the herbal reference person at Alfalfa's, and my
own instinct caution against ingesting essential oils.  Things that are
safe in low concentrations can be dangerous when concentrated, not to
mention concentrating minor inpurities
Agnes
Mistress Agnes deLanvallei, Mag Mor, Calontir

Fostering the study and safe recreation of Medieval of uses of plants.  If
I can assist in your investigations, I would be honored.
kkeeler1 at unl.edu


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