The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-11-17
Musk.

Musk is an animal secretion, obtained
from the MochuS moSchVerus, or musk
deer, an !nhabitant of the great noun
tain ranges of Central Asia. The Nos
chuS moSchVeruS takes its English name
from a strong resemblance, in shape, to
the deer with which we are familiar in
this country. Its usual size is about
two feet in height, and three in length.
The ears long and narrow; the tail
very short The nature of its coat APP
proaches that of fur; the color is dark
gray.
The musk is secreted by the male
animal only and is found in a sac, or
closed pouch, under its belly. AS soon
as the deer is killed. the sac is cut off
and dried with its contents; in this
state it is sent to market. The capture
of the deer is by no means an easy task.
Timid in nature, and possessed of great
activity and nimbleness, it frequents
crass and retreats in the mountains, al
most inaccessible to man, and prefers
the regions of snow to lower grounds,
which renders the labor of hunting still
more arduous. Sharing is largely prac-
tised, and is probably the most success
full method of taking them. Early
travellers describe the hunt as being
made by lying in wait for the deer, and
attacking them with arrows and other
missiles.
Musk is in little grains, or Jumps, adj
herring TO each other, soft aud some
what unctuous TO the touch, and of a
dark, reddish brown color. By age and
exposure it loses water, and, perhaps,
other liquid constituents, and conse-
OF emily has less adhesiveness. It's odor,
SO well known TO every one, is one of
the most durable and persistent of any
found in nature or producible by art.
1t is SO strong and dfiusive, that one
part of musk will impart its scent to
three thousand parts of inodorous mat
ter. Exposed to the air, it will, after
reaching a certain state of dryness, con-
tinue to give Off odor indefinitely, and
with scarcely any appreciate loss in
weight. Leather scented with it re-
tains the odor for years, and its
scents once difiused in any sub
stance or place, which suffers little ex-
posture, will remain for an almost in
credily long time.
Musk is largely used as a perfume.
Although not usually liked IN its pure
state by persons Of cultivated taste,
there is scarcely an odor more popular
in compounds, or which is of greater
use to the maker of perfumer. Its
warm, aromatic smell and great dura-
bllity, and the peculiar property it has
Tin common, however, with some other
substances), of giving fixity or perma-
hence to perfumes more volatile than
itself, make it one of the most valuable
of all his materials. 1t is also en-
ployed, to limited extent as medi-
cine.
AS before minated, musk usually
comes to us in its natural envelopes,
known commercially as "pods," which
range in weight from about three
eighths to one and quarter ounce.
The average yield eff grain musk, /. e.,
the musk itself, from each pod, is about
one half its gross weight. Three varie-
ties are known in market-Russian, In
dian, and Chinese-which are named in
the order of their excellence. The best
Chinese is said to be that from the pre-
vince or district of Tonquin, but the
name "Tonquin musk is probably
now applied Unfortunately to all the
Chinese product. Our chief supply of
Chinese musk comes to us direct from
Canton; it is imported il caddies con.
tanning fifty to one hundred ounces.
Musk is prodigiously dear. Even at
the present low rate of gold and alb
sence of duty, the genuine Chinese, in
pods, is worth ten to eleven dollars
per ounce in first hands, and the pure
article, separated from its envelope, in
like proportion, namely, twenty to
twenty-five dollars. Notwithstanding
this high price, its preparations can be
produced at a moderate cost, because
little of it "goes such a way" in the
matter of giving off odor.-Appleton'S
journal.