The practice of producing an agreeable odor by fumi- gation, or burning incense, as well as that of anointing the person with odoriferous oils and ointments, and of sprinkling the dress with fragrant waters, originated in, and is confined to, warm climates. In such climates per- spiration is profuse, and much care is needful to prevent the effects of it from being offensive. It is in this ne- cessity we may find the reason for the use of perfumes, particularly at weddings and feasts, and on visits to per- sons of rank; and in fact on most of the occasions which bring people together with the intention of being agree- able to one another. See Perkumk.
The following are the uses of ointments referred to in the Scriptures.
1. Cosmetic. — The Greek and Roman practice of anoint- ing the head and clothes on festive occasions prevailed also among the Egyptians, and appears to have had place among the Jews (Ruth iii, 3-; Eccl. vii, 1 ; ix, 8 ; Prov. xxvii, 9, 16; Cant, i, 3; iv, 10; Amos vi, G; Psa. xlv, 7; Isa. Ivii, 9; Matt, xxvi, 7; Luke vii, 46; Rev. xviii, 13; Fowa, viii, 1 ; Shubb. ix,4:; VMo, Si/mjh 'i,G, p. 123; see authorities in Hofmann, Lex. s. v. llnguendi ritus). Oil of myrrh, for like purposes, is mentioned in Esth. ii, 12. Strabo says that the inhabitants of Meso- potamia use oil of sesame, and the Egyptians castor-oil (l-iki), both for burning, and the lower classes for anoint- ing the body. Chardin and other travellers confirm tliis statement as regards the Persians, and show that they made little use of olive-oil, but used other oils, and among them oil of sesame and castor-oil. Chardin also describes tlie Indian and Persian custom of presenting perfumes to guests at banquets (Strabo, xvi, 746; xvii, 824 ; Chardin, Voy. iv, 43, 84, 86 ; Marco Polo, Tj-at: \_Early Trav.\ p. 85; Olearius, Trav. p. 305). Egyp- tian paintings represent servants anointing guests on their arrival at their entertainer's house, and alabaster vases exist which retain the traces of the ointment
which they formerly contained. Athenaeus speaks of the extravagance of Antiochus Epiphanes in the use of ointments for guests, as well as of ointments of various kinds (Wilkinson, Anc. Eij. i, 78, pi. 89; i, 157; Athe- nteus, X, 53 ; xv, 41). See Anoint.
2. Funereal. — Ointments as well as oil were used to anoint dead bodies and the clothes in which they were wrapped. Our Lord thus spoke of his own body being anointed by anticipation (Matt, xxvi, 12; Mark xiv, 3, 8; Luke xxiii,56; Johnxii,3, 7; xix, 40 ; see also Plu- tarch, Consol. p. 611 ; viii, 413, ed. Reiske). See Burial.
3. Medicinal. — Ointment formed an important feature in ancient medical treatment (Celsus, Be Med. iii, 19 ; v, 27 ; Pliny, xxiv, 10 : xxix, 3, 8, 9). The prophet Isaiah alludes to this in a figure of speech ; and our Lortl, in his cure of a blind man, adopted as the outward sign one which represented the usual method of cure. The men- tion of balm of Gilead and of eye-salve (collyrium) point to the same method (Isa. i, 6; John ix, 6; Jer. viii, 22; xlvi, 11 ; Ii, 8 ; Rev. iii, 18 ; Tob. vi, 8 ; xi, 8, 13 ; Tertull. Be Jdololatr. 11). See Medicine.
4. Ritual. — Besides the oil used in many ceremonial observances, a special ointment was appointed to be used in consecration (Exod. xxx, 23, 33 ; xxix, 7 ; xxxvii, 29 ; xl, 9, 15). It was first compounded by Bezaleel, and its ingredients and proportions are precisely specified : viz. of pure myrrh and cassia 500 shekels (250 ounces) each ; sweet cinnamon and sweet calamus 250 shekels (125 ounces) each ; and of olive-oil 1 bin (about 5 quarts, 330- .96 cubic inches). These were to be compounded according to the art of the apothecary into an oil of holy ointment (Exod. xxx, 25). It was to be used for anointing — 1, the Tabernacle itself; 2, the table and its vessels; 3, the candlestick and its furniture; 4, the altar of incense; 5, the altar of burnt-ofTering and its vessels ; 6, the laver and its foot ; 7, Aaron and his sons. Strict prohibition was issued against using this unguent for any secular purpose, or on the person of a foreigner, and against im- itating it in any way whatsoever (Exod. xxx, 32, 33). The composition was not preserved as a secret, but was publicly declared and described, with a plain prohibition to make any like it. jMaimonides says that doubtless the cause of this prohibition was that there might be no such perfmne found elsewhere, and consequently that a greater attachment might be induced to the sanctuary; and also to prevent the great evils which might arise from men esteeming themselves more excellent than others, if allowed to anoint themselves with a similar oil {More Nebochim, cli. xx). The reasons for attaching such distinction to objects consecrated by their holy ap- propriations are too obvious to need much elucida- tion. These ingredients, exclusive of the oil, must have amounted in weight to about 47 lbs. 8 oz. Now olive- oil weighs at the rate of 10 lbs. to the gallon. The weight therefore of the oil in the mixture would be 12 lbs. 8 oz. English. A question arises, in what form were the other ingredients, and what degree of solidity did the whole attain? Myrrh, "pure" {deror"), free -flowing (Gesen. Thes. p. 355), would seem to imply the juice which flows from the tree at the first incision, perhaps the "odorato sudantia ligno balsama" {Georg. ii, 118), which Pliny says is called " stacte," and is the best (xii, 15; Dioscorides, i, 73, 74 ; quoted by Celsus, i, 159; and Knobel on Exodus, /. c). This juice, which at its first flow is soft and oily, becomes harder on exposure to the air. According to Maimonides, Moses (not Bezaleel). having reduced the solid ingredients to powder, steeped them in water till all the aromatic qualities were drawn forth. He then poured in the oil, and boiled the whole till the water was evaporated. The residuum thus ob- tained was preserved in a vessel for use (Otho, Lex. Rahb. s. V. Oleum). This account is perhaps favored by the expression " powders of the merchant," in reference to myrrh (Cant, iii, 6; Keil, ^1?t^.c7. //f6/-. p. 173). An- other theory supposes all the ingredients to have been in the form of oil or ointment, and the measurement by weight of all except the oil seems to imply that they