The Washington times., 1901-09-01
VIRTUES OF PERFUMES.
The Ancients Used sweet Scents as
Medicines.

Among the steadily ausmenting reasons
for alarm at Germanys commercial ag-
gressiyeness there was recently mentioned
IN English and Continental papers the fact
that German manufacturers are even at
tempting to control The trade in perfumes.
Their chemists produce from heretofore
| unthought of sources almost any sort of
scent and essence for toilet and table,
which are exported to alt parts of the
globe. AS specially noteworthy are re-
ported large shipments of perfumery to
the Orient from. - iran ports The ladies'
OF the harems of Constantinople Cairo.
indeed of the whole Mohammedan world,
are said to have been won for these per-
fumes made in Germany and the Le-
want, the native land of fragrant extracts,
is being inundated with eau de cologne
| and numberless other scents of flowers or
who can tell what substances.
1t is difficult TO realize how universal
was the knowledge and use of scent in
ancient time. says Invention" Greek
tradition AYERS that perfume came direct
from Venus toilet, and recipes for es-
sences were inscribed on marble tablets
all about the temples of the Goddess OF
Love. Egypt was a great mart for all
kinds of perfumes. Women made them
selves beautiful through the use of es-
sences an guests were received IN cham
bers strewn with flowers. Even the dead
| were not forgotten. for the embalmed
mummy was saturated with perfumes and
spices, and sweet scents were burned be-
fore their statues.
The ancients thought certain perfumes
had medicinal value. Pliny mentions IS
remedies derived from rue, 81 from rose,
Al from mint, q from the lily, and II
from the violet. Thyme has a tonic quail
ity and lavender is soothing. Patchouh Is
stimulating, jasmine is cheering, while
heliotrope is an irritant There are those
in our day who think sandal tonic, and
its virtues were known TO the Greeks, who
anointed themselves with it for the Olym-
plan games.
The Jews love of perfume was so great
that morning and night they burned sweet
incense of myrrh, and beds were per-
fumed with aloes and cinnamon. SO in
| dispensable were scents considered for the
bridal toilet that one-twelfth of the bridal
dowry was set apart for their purchase.
The famous balm of Gilead was distilled
from bush which formerly covered the
mountain of Gilead. but this of late has
become so scarce that only the Sultan can
be supplied
The trade in perfumes was enormous in
| Greece. Like the Egyptians they under
stood the fascination of flowers, and an
Athenian not only perfumed his house. but
| scented his drinking vessels with myrrh,
| the gum of tree which grows in Arabia.
| To such an extent was the love Of perfume
| carried that each part Of the body had its
| peculiar unguent; the hair required sweet
marjoram. the neck and knees wild thyme
| the arms balsam, the checks and breast
palm oil. apd the feet and legs sweet oint-
ment. Indeed. the perfumers' shops in
| Athens were rendezvouses for the discus
sion of politics and intrigue. The love of
| perfumery among the Greeks spread into
Rome, and soon the Roman perfumers
became so famous that bunch of sage
indicated their shops. A Roman lady fire.
| quently kept one slave to sprinkle her
hair.-Baltimore Sum-