Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1879-10-09

Dr. Fabris, of France, who Ia eminent
both as botanist and N physiologist, was
urerarinC an exhaustive work on "The
Function Of Perfume in Flowers" " when a
brilliant idea flashed across his brain. He
was at the moment engaged upon chapter
treating Of the effect which different per-
fumes produce upon human beings, as illus
frafed NV the well known facts that the
smell Of sauer-kraut causes the Frenchman
60 Thirst for German blood, and that the
smell of the Venetian canals at low tide
swakes in the visiting tourist wild desire
to f1v anywhere, anywhere out of the world.
The thought occurred TO the learned Doctor:
Are not all our impulses due TO the intlu-
cnce of perfumes, and is il not possible 10
make the human nose the grea. instrument
Of education This thought led 10 the long
series Of careful experiments which finally
enabled him TO formulate rules for the pro-
tlucsion Of female character St will. ltis a
curious fact that Dr. Fabris found early in
the course of his investigation that the
s-roSser nature Of man could not be affected
NV perfumes 10 any very great extent, while
The more sensitive feminine nose yielded
FHroanrtlv 10 even the most delicate per-
fumes. Al present, therefore, the Fahris
system Of nasal education is limited 10 the
ccntler sex. though the diScovcrcr has not
abandoned the hope Of mastering the secret
nf the masculine nose. DIR. Fahris's eN-
perimenfs were made with the aid of
seventy eight small girls of between 10 and
Is years Of age. Small girls suitable for
scientific experiment are cheap in Venice,
bu1 the Doctor would have spent fortune,
II necessary, in his Investigations. These
girls me divided into six classes Each
class was kept day and night in an atmoS-
phere stepped ir some particular perfume.
The effects OF these specific ierfumes were
carefully studied, :, 4 tltc result is really
startling. The class OF girls in musk con-
aiste6 of thirteen members chosen al ran
dom Al the end Of six months every girl,
without exception had become plump, Ian
cuid, and censpicuouSly good tempered un-
less under extreme provocaiion. Though
nr. Fafris found that musk produced a de
sire for wearing fine clothes and jewelry, it
was also evident that il did not stimulate
a taste for personal neatneSS, though per-
haaus this was due TO IndispoSition to take
any urneceSSzry trouble, which is the char
acferisric effect of musk. This experiment
convinced the investigator that an amiable,
lAnguid and showy girl, with tendency to
undue possponement in the matter of
changing collars and cuffs, may be pro
duced Nv the aid Of musk in from five 10
SIX months cut Of the most scraCgy, spite
ful and viCiolSlS active material. The ef-
fecS Of the perfume Of the rose was pre-
cisely opposite to that Of musk. The girls
of the rase Class grew thin. abnormally neat,
excessively prudiSh. and decidedly unami-
able. a curious unwillingneSs 10 tell the
truth was developed in twelve of the thir-
teen girls subjected TO this experiment, a
result which was the more remarkable since,
Inn other respects they were unusually
ssrsc1 in obeying the teachings of the
Church For this style of girl there is. of
course. little or no demand, except in those
par1s 0f New England where every girl is
expected 20 becomes school teacher. Ii is,
however, OF great importance for us TO
know the real effect Of the rose, and from
this GATE onward we may expect that con-
scsenri0uS fathers anC husbands will see
fhs1 this Objectionable perfume does not
enter their houses Geranium was found
10 prodnce fair sample of girl Those
subjected 10 its influence developed the
TlumpneSS Of the musk girls, decidedly
independent spirit, and tendency TO free
thinking in matters Of religion. This kind
OF girl would probably meet with a large
demand in our western and north western
States where personal beauty and strength
uf character are much priced, and where
orthodoxy in religion is not regarded as es-
senriAl Dr. Fabris is inclined to think
that by the alternate action Of geranium
and violet a modified girl might be pro-
duced who would be u decided improve
menf upon either pure geranium or a pure
violet girl This however, remains TO be
proved by further experiments. Very sat-
isfacIWy results were obtained by the use
of violet. The girls upon whom this per-
fume Essemployed became gentle, amiable,
refined devout, and thoroughly truthful.
They also. however, developed some indi-
cz1iOns of melancholy, and were, as q rule,
hacking in physical and moral force. So
FIR as the Doctors investigations have been
pushed violet appears TO give the best re-
su1rs Il is 20 he hoped that his eXpccta-
tiOns rs 10 the alternate use of violet and
gerznium win he justified; for in that case
We shall be able 10 produce girls who will
he almost fau1Iless The only other per-
fume with which DIR. Fabris experimental
was pafchoula, and the results were most
discOurRging At the end of two months
the girls Of the paichouli class had de-
veloPed nearly every undesirable quality,
and II vas perhaps good thing that mob,
justly maddened hy the scent of patchouli
which radia-ed from the Doctor slaboratory,
broke into the premises and destroyed
everything they could lay their hands on,
including the girls of the patchouli class,
and several valuable articles of furniture
and scientific Instruments