The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1896-10-28
A Talk About Perfumes.

The four animal scents employed ia
the manufacture Of perfumes are musk,
civet, castor and am bergris, which
comes from the sperm whale. Civet is
becoming most popular and Is edging
the others castor il well nigh obsolete
to the wall, but musk Is the most dis
tinguished Of ali four, and for years I'M
told has been the basis Of all choice
scent.
The three kinds Of musk found in
the American market vary in price ae-
cording 20 the quality Of each. The
Russian musk, from its comparative
poverty In fragrance, does not sell for
more than sl.25 an ounce; the Assam,
next IN value, has a strong, rank odor,
and brings about s45O in the pod,
while the Chinese musk, the most
priced, sells in the pod for s. an ounce.
Two ounces OF grain musk added TO
one gallon Of reetified spirits will, after
a months maceration, give the COM
mercial extract of musk, which is
used for mixing with other perfumes.
whereby its Odnr Is modified according
to taste by its association with various
attars. When a perfumer wishes TO
disinfect mortar in which musk
grains have been rubbed he has to
pound bitter almonds IN H.
The history Of musk dates back TO
the early Egyptian period, when it
WAS a chief factor in the embalming
process, and later in the days of the
Crusades. IL was among the precious
relics sent By the Sultan Saladin to the
Greek ruler Of C0nstantinOple. 10 for
meriy held high reputation as med
icine, and is still used among the in
habitants Of the east a. a precious and
reviying drink. IL j. stated that the
Russian mperor-NichOias- his
d -ath bed drank a potion ef musk.
IL is related that Napoleon was DISCUS
ted and irriTated By its strong odor
which permeated Josephine's boudoir
and articles Of her wardrobe.
An extravagant and luxurious Turk
ish ruler understood the undying VIOLA
tile properties Of this strange product
when he had secreted in the walls Of
his harem musk grains mixed with the
The scent of musk j. wonder
fully diffusive and subtle, the articles
in its vicinity soon becoming impreg-
mated with it and long retaining its
DIOR. OF the famous nOsegays that
have musk for their basis are the Em-
press Eugenie's, "thc Fleur DItalie,v
which has also the costly ambergris as
An ingredient ''WoOd Violet" and
West End" or the dry perfumes-
nearly all have grains Of musk
mixed in their compounds, Will
among expensive scented soaps, such
Is Paris, Windsor" which owes its
,reat reputation among the elite to the
delightful odor, Is simply the duly
fragrance Of musk.
so il Is that the choicest grades Of
Derfumes-thOse most coveted by our
,rand DANES of fashion, who pride
themselves that their artisticilly high
,re6 hoses can detect vulgarism even
n toilet waters-are misIed. Their
avOrites have but in reality a m0st
,lebeian origin. For no matter how
many delightful attars Of yiolets, ross,
ube roses and jasmine, lavender, YER
'ena, eassia and orange flowers lend
heir fieeting sweet arOmas To "bOu-
Iuets," they would be but airy, indef-
lite and unsubstantial without the
staying power Of the gros-
er elements, such as are obtained from
he nauseOus eivet eat, the diseased
perm whale and the odoriferous musk
eer of the animal world.-Philadel
'hia Times.