Smyrna times., 1871-09-06
M SC z I/u IL f OMS.
Perfumes,

6Iluu6SI
Not the least important of the senses
tnOugh 1t Is one that is seldom esteemed very
hlghly, Is the sense OF smell. 1t acts as senti-
nell TO guard US from dangers that are to be
dreaded as much as is the knife of the assassin
or the bludgeOn of the rui1ian: and if is more
than probable that, if it were carefully educat
ed and Scrupulou>Iy guarded from deteriorat-
lhg Influences, 1t would never fail to give us
nouee ol the presence OF infection and masm
IN the ar, ana ol unhealthy impurities in the
food and drink that we use, But if is NOT onI,,
as sentinel alone that it proves a valuable
! servant. 1t serves equally aS a minister of
pleasure. he south wind sweeping over q
baIIH ot VloletS, stealing aud giving Odor is NOT
an un"eicome Vl>liant, aud the delight attend
ing Its presence is due to this sense. Mon
early received hint OF the pos>ibitie, in this
! dnectl0n, as the Incense Of the wOfsLiurr and
the scented OILS and precious ontments of the
apothecary bear abundant testimony. and .t
the present day few things afford more infer.
eStlng study than the manufacture Of prrfnmcs
ln the hrst place the materials have n neculior
interest, beng gathered from the most widely.
! scattered sources. The lemon groves of Sicily
yield their oils; the rose gardens of Turkpy
send their precious little TASKS of altar. tLe
tiower-tarms of sunny France that was-poor,
bleeding France that is furnish countless
essences the savages Of Borneo and the Nal
acca Islands and the soft and luxurious Hin
zoos, send from the Etst; while Mcxicans and
H4uth Americans supply their quota from the
! Western Hemisphere. Nor does onr own
land refuse its share. Wayne county. in the
State OF New York, "a become the great pep
! permlnt-oll region OF the world and who can
tel 10 what extent flower culture will be carri-
Gd IN the future, on the broad praries of the
! West, and the warm and fertile plains of the
/ South?
The manufacture, or rather the preparation.
OF perfumes, has always formed a prominent
/ part OF the business of the apothecary: tbouoh
it is also true that there have. from time i'm
memorial, been those who devoted themselves
specially to the preparation Of perfumes and
other articles for the toilet But it is only
within comparatively modern times that the
manufacture OF pertumery. properly so-called
has assumed proportions which give it promi-
nent place amongst the industries of the world
AS articles OF commerce. spices and perfumes
! nave always been amongst the most valuable
commodities but a. manufactures they occupi.
! Ell no prominent position. Now a-davs. how
ever the extent to which this business has
been carried is something marvellous. In
Europe, especially in France and Germany.
there are several establishments whose trans
/ actions are estimated by millions: and in the
/ United States the number Of manufacturers is
very great. Some OF .hese are of considerable
producing capacity, and we believe that one or
two OF them are so extensive as to include
gIasS-houSes for the manufacture of the bottles
aud other vessels used in their trade. The
character of the articles produced on this CON
tlnent varies from that of the cheapest and
coarseSt varieties used by Indians, and the
rudest of the working population, to perfumes
that Will vie with the products of European
! laboratories. Those who have not devoted at
tentlon to the subject have little idea of the
scientific skill that has been applied to the
production OF really excellent perfumes. Great
skill Is shown IN the combination or odors. so
as to produce that which will not only be
pleasant, but free from all tendency to clov
the oltactory sense; and, by the way, it is a
curious fact that some of our most pleasant
and valuable perfumes become exceedingly
offensive when they are present in too great
quantity. These must be diluted, and so com
blned with other perfumes that only their most
pleasant features will be perccptble Evidence
OF the skill that Is required in this direction
may be had by comparing the products of some
country apothecary with the results of skilled
perfumers. Although they both use the same
materials, the difference will be found to be
very marked.
The proper use of perfumes is one that de-
mandS more thought than our peOplG are ant
to give to it. That there is great danger of
their being abused, experience shows conclu
slvely. The Eastern nations employ them, in
a great measure, tor the purpose of cOnceang
OdOrs that otherwise would be offensive: in
other words, they use perfumes as a substitute
for cleanliness. This is obviously an abuse of
one OF the good gifts of the Creator Except
IN the case OF peculiar and abnormal conditions
of the system in which the Precipitation. &c.
have an offensive character, perfumes should
never be used for purposes of concealment.
In other words cologne should never be used
as substitute for the bath. But as an ex-
ception to this general rule comes the case in
which we are obliged to use perfumes about
our own persons for the sake of fortifyng our
selves against the presence of others over whom
we have no control. The same may be said of
apartments Perfumes ought never to be
brought into use for the purpose of getting rid
OF foul odors, until all the appliances of clean
llness and dislnfectantS have been exhausted
In short, although perfumes are not only
agreeable, butt as we have previously stated.
! OF some value as destroyers of miasm. vet,
since we have other and more powerful means
OF removing the sources of disease, the office
OF perfumery is chiefly that of affording an ex.
qulslte and delicate pleasure
The New York Mail relates that number
OF young ladies', school teachers of New York