The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-12-29
p e r r U M e r Y.

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History Of the Arr and Its Progress In Amer
ica--Ancient and Modern Perfumers--The
varicus Kinds Of Perfumes and the NIatcri.
ais Used in Their Manufactures
As the painter musician and sculptor, who initiate
naureihe one in his delnsa,ion OF her beauties and
rugged error the second in h. schoing the universal
orchestra of creation and the third In his reproducing
on polished marble the "human form divine Are
called ats.a In the Of tho word the claims
OF the perfumsr 10 that title should be admitted or all
the senses that OF smell transmits its impressions in,
perhaps, the most vivid and rapid manner TO the
brain, and influences mind and body 70 . consider
able extent. We wander in the garden and drink the
bamy odors Of the fair children Of nature that III their
dew.ladsn heads and open their floral bosoms TO the
warm embrace Of the rising sun. In the spring time
when Nature poura forth her richest perfumes and her
fragile children peep from every floral bed and cast
abroad their aromatic treasures the soul expands the
pulse quckens and the blood In sympathy With
the atmosphere and the genial aromatic brsszes that
arc waited from the South. It the province Of per.
fumery TO give this revving aroma which otherwise
would be scattered to the winds Of heaven, tangible
and durable shape. that We enjoy the. sweets
or ethereal spring by carefully saving its balmy
treasurer
Various conflicting opinions held on the point all Of
which, however, place 1t where in the East The
first made OF the discovery OF the fragrant treasures
sweet scented wreaths OF smoke that assembled from
Thousands OF rude affairs in the simple imagina
to the supsrna powers while the Intoxicating fumes
threw them into religious ecstacies In all the prmi-
tive modes Of worship on the affairs OF Coniucus ana
phs perfumes formed an important part Of the rites
Their for toilet purposes originated with the Egyp.
tans and was transmitted by them to the jews
ans Greeks, Romans, Arabs. and finally TO the modern
European nationR II would be interesting to explore
the mysteries OF the toilet OF Belle He Aspasia,
|
and the powdered belle Of tho French court and TO
record the progress Of perumery from the egyptian
lady OF the last century and thence down to the
chgponed and crnolined beauty Of our own days In
fashions OF barbaous tribes and the Indian squaw and
s.Feejee mermaid are not to be neglected But such
history would far exceed the limits OF newspaper
article The part that perfumery has played 10 the
worlds history from the time that Cleopatra aiiured
Antony on TIE mater '0e rs h ann
painted checks OF the Pompadour, the sovereign OF
FiaDce and her king, vas NO mean one .
Tho importance OF the pefuerv trade In this country
may DO ascertained from the immense imports OF
foreign perfumes and our own native manufactures.
monthly imported, and vioIets, Penauds and Cou-
drsy' ia order Over one thousand gross OF
LOWS brown Windsor and turtle oil soap are brought
Coudray takes the lead, and after him Violet and
pensud. societe Hygieniqoe import ave hundred
dozen OF oils per month, and Lubu, Coudray Pepaud
and Violet also largely represented 10 regard 70
the manufacture OF perfumes the greater portion N
being from Imported pomadcs
We have somewhere the statement that per-
fumes we're frequently made from the most Disgusting
substances-as the drainage from c0wyards, rotten
cheese and eike. This Is untrue, and has doubtless
from the fact that certain chemical compounds
resembling the favors OF fruit can, BY the power OF
modern chemistry. be produced from very unsavory
substances. But these have nothing to do with the
:, 'ns b.
Hs Is catch tho Reutlest nreathnGs OF the
bainy air, imprson them In hts curiousy con-
| irice
enjoyments The principal material made use OF
BY perlnmcrs pomade fat scented with tho odors
OF various flowers during the OF bloom The fat
carefully refined and RENDERED perfectly nodorous, is
pcked flowers tho odor OF which il Is desirable TO OBJ
tain. These mra their delicious fragrance 70 tho rat
and are then removed and replaced BY other flower:
SUCCESSFULLY until tho tat s thoroughly impregnasd
with perfume. All this process 10 performed by 10 sons
uho speciality, and the product sold 10 bulk 70
fat the perfume that 1t shalt be In liquid state as,
however agreeable the OF smell the fatty In
or onr h Ss.s % uss on their costly In order
w extract the odor the pcrfumed fat Is chopped nne
and maceratcd in alcohol In large Embellishments the
process Is conducted somewhat differently BY means
Of cylinder having at tho bottom perforated plato,
the pomade Is forced through in very fine ribbons,
manner that the pomadc becomes light, feathery
and readily gives its odor TO the spirit In which
used we shall make 4 few remarks The French
use high proof brandy and tho Americans finely
rscuced alcohol, which = perfectly inodcrous
except in = fee combinations for which our leading
American perfumers use the French method. Ia the
early stages Of perfume manufacture American per-
runners made only tho cheaper extracts comoina
lions Of essential os which vi course brought Their
p,o 0r svery pa o. he Wpr and he
American perfumes now fully equal TO the imported
while, with our proverbla Ingenuity. We produce new
and superior combinations every day. The American
manufacturers in perfumes are constantly improving,
and in the OF year two will probably equal
| the bnasled perflmers OF Europa
L
that all plants and all flowers exhaie an odor more or
less perceptIoemorc or less agreeable Some flowers
like that OF the and the orange tree, such
powerful aroma that scents the air for considerable
\ distance around some flowers have stronger smell
sunrise, at midnight others ct night. the tme
Of opening their petals 10 the dirg much among
the floral Tribe that ingenious boanst has constructed
floral clock, each hour being indicated by the opening
Of particular flower. The hours indicated fol-
iowsOnc o'clock, rose; tao, hcotropo three, water
ny; four hyacinth; aye' consoivalus; Six ger
violet and pansy. me odors Of MOWERS diner in
l intensity, some losing their fragrance ON being
culled and others preserving il in dried state.
But the strength and Durability OF odors derived
tho animal kingdom Gar exceed thoss extracted from
iowers. A single grain OF musk lasts, dramatically
speaking. for years. and inrpregnaos everything II
comes 10 contact with: and a. for tho traditional KEN
renders person unit for society Tor IN Indefinite period
Of time. Many authors say that the sense OF smell Is
closely allied 70 imagination, and support this theory by
numerous examples. There DO pleasing at
mosphere Ia than that which impreKnatcd with
uourtoue perfumes ~ tont DoWeFf IN creeping
4 apartment sickness aud headache; but this Is
caused by the exhnlaton Of carbonic acid from Thorn
and BY their aroma. Tho perfume OF these flowers
IL not only .nnoxous but II absolutely beneficial 70
health. fsrfumery was an essential characteristic OF
the bouquets o! the ancert The heads OF the visitors
snoilsd thsir arrival and during the entertain
mont flowers used IN great prcfusion. Chaplcs OF
ioias decorated the pecks 81 the guests garands OF
crocus and pafron decorated the wine cup; floral
vrsaihs hsng an around the room. and over and
under the tables wero strcwn various towers mnginK
their fragrance with the fumes OF sassolefe
Perfumes for the hsndkerchefs composed In
ors wnys The best being mado by infusug In alcohol
che pomadss ola The mos, important branch OF the
rerfumers art In the manufacture Of toilet soaps The
orsgn pefumss that enjoy the best reputation In "a
country Luoiu, Violet and reaand Their goods are
| the 1nest that come into our market John Ball IA
respected for his OF which Low furnishes the bes,
samples. Rinuei Of Paris, is aiso we'll known here In
| tbs reriumery line Cosmetics ponssuml washes,
dcn,srcss and other toilet requisites largely
l featured in this country The introt uctcs Of
! giyccrine has made Q Great change in perlumery
as nitrocivcertus mas In elbow ny UNI opsraf iona