Crossword-Solution: MIRBANE 7 letters, 1 clue 🏆 scrabble score: 11

Among French perfumeries we have found, under the name of artificial oil of bitter almonds, and under the still more poetical name of "essence de mirbane," several samples of essential oils, which are no more nor less than nitrobenzol.

Etym: [Nitro- + benzene.] (Chem.) Defn: A yellow aromatic liquid (C6H5.NO2), produced by the action of nitric acid on benzene, and called from its odor imitation oil of bitter almonds, or essence of mirbane.

Although the isolation of benzene from coal-tar gave an impetus to the manufacture of nitrobenzene, no use existed for the latter beyond its very limited application as "essence of mirbane," and the production of this compound was at that time too insignificant to take rank as an important branch of chemical industry.

The odour in this case, it must be remembered, is that of the actual compound which imparts the characteristic taste and smell to the almond; it is not the result of substituting a substance which has a particular odour for another having a similar odour, as is the case with nitrobenzene, which, as already mentioned, is used in large quantities under the name of "essence of mirbane," for imparting an almond-like smell to soap.

When completely dry, it is further cleansed with nitro-benzol--also known as nitro-benzine, artificial oil of bitter almonds, or essence of mirbane.