The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-07-18
THE ACTION OF SCENTS.
Some are Braeins as a Frosty Morn

Zone should be careful" said a mod
ell housekeeper, what doors are al
lowed to linger about the rooms of a
we'll kept house. l have looked into
the physical action of odors and there
is really something to be said about
it. Goethe, you remember, could not
tolerate the smell of apples. while
Schiller, his illustrious compatriot, de-
lighted in that rich, fruity flavor. Near
ly everyone is sensitive to certain odors
and the chatelaine who delights in all
the small things that go to make up
the comfort of her household must not
leave out this consideration.
Although the lily is a beautiful flow
err" went on this mistress of the phi
losophy of scents, sit should be used
very gingerly. l know of no one who
is not unpleaSantly affected by too
much of its perfume. 1t produces a
sense of nausea and depression. Roses
are agreeable to everybody, and a rose
potpourri always perfumes a room in
most pleasureable manner. This is
the very moment to make one. 1t is
very fragrant and penetrating, and a
jar of it will last for years. [ don't
know where 1 got the recipe for mine,
but it is such a good one that it will
bear being given again: Gather the
rose leaves in the morning, if possible,
while the dew is yet upon them; then
place them in q cool spot to dry. Take
a large covered dish and put the leaves
in layers, with a sprinkling of salt be-
tween. Keep adding the rose petals
every morning until you have the dish
quite full. Then leave them so for ten
days, shaking them we'll every morn
ing. Take a glass fruit jar, with a
wide mouth, and put in two ounces of
whole allspice, crushed, and two ounces
of stem cinnamon, broken into small
Ia u,
the salt. Let this stand six or seven
weeks in a perfectly air tight jar. For
the permanent mixture grind one ounce
of lavender flowers. To this quantity
add one quart of rose petals. Mix the
rose leaves and the spices by putting
them in alternate layers, and from
time to time add a little lavender water
or any perfume preferred.
ITO destroy the sooty smell that Of
ten fills a room after an open CRATE
has been closed for the summer. [
have used newspapers and coffee. Last
week L found the library filled with u
peculiar odor, as 1 have described,
from the crate. 1 had the girl make
a fire with newspapers, mixing freely
ground coffee with kindling wood and
paper. There was at first decided
smell of paper, but the coffee soon be-
gan to burn, and acted as a disinfect-
room was seemingly purified, and after
one half hours airing it was the pleas
antest place in the house. | closed the
doors and windows and opened the jar
containing the rose potpourri, shook up
the leaves, and in another half hour
the library was ready for you to en-
ter, and l would have been greatly dis
appointed had you not made some eX-
clamation of pleasure as you met the
delicate perfume.
"a preparation for the essence of vi
Diets which it is even now not too late
to make, is to fill a small earthenware
vessel with alternate layers of freshly
gathered violets and of absorbent cot
ton dipped in pure olive oil. Cover the
vessel closely and let it stand for
twelve hours, then remove the flowers
and put in fresh ones. Repeat this
process until the oil has become Suf-
fciently scented. Then place the cot
ton in a bottle, pour a small quantity
of purest spirits of wine upon it, cork,
shake the bottle thoroughly, and set
it in the sun for a week. The result
will be a fine essence of the dainty vio-
let, the fragrance of which is the favor
lite Of most women because 1t Is SO del
icate. A drop of this here and there
about a burning lamp will often scent
the whole room.
1.-The perfumes that are most CRATE
full to the nostrils,' says another wo-
man, "are not always the most help
full to the nerves. Ambergris, for in
stance, is positively offensive to many,
yet it is said to possess a wonderful
power of clearing the brain and driving
away those evil spirits known as the
blues On the other hand, altar of
roses, with its suggestion of glowing
suns and gorgeous eastern colors, pre-
disposes one to tears. A faint odor of
musk acts as a tonic, while civet brings
of soul, for which the best
antidote is the pungent odor of sandal
wood; the fragrance of citrOn and aloe
wood is as soothing to nervous people
as far-off music.
Many perfumes, delightful in the
open air, become particularly disagree
able in a close room. A hostess should
be spoiled by the presence of tuberoses
Or lilies in a reception room. Their
strong fragrance has very bad effect.
Magnolia blossoms, too, have a delight
full perfume in their native grove, but
woe to her who sleeps through the
night with sigle blossom on her pill
low. There are many fragrant flowers,
such as carnation, Glove pink, sweet
brier, and apple blossom, that are as
beneficial as they are sweet scented.
"a vivid perfume is nearly always
bracing, while subtle one, is generally
One may become positive
y intoxicated through inhaling the
odor of the peach, almond, wild cherry
and other blossoms of the same class,
because they all contain a suggestion
Of prussic acid.''-New York Times.