Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-06
PERFUMES AND THE VOICE.
Students of Singing Warned to Beware
of Scents and Even of Flowers.

OF scents ana Even OF Flowers.
From the New York Sun.
Girls and others who take singing les
sons are experiencing the inconvenience
sometimes attached to sciences discoveries.
Those whose teachers follow assiduously
the latest wrinkles from Paris have been
instructed that in future they must rigor-
ously abstain from the use of perfumes,
and the wearing of odorous flowers. Need
less to say, many have rebeled.
The new regulation has been evolved by
the Partisan professors of vocal music, fol-
lowing the results of certain experiments
and observations made by French
scientists. According to a well known teach
er of singing in this city. who is endeavor-
ing to make his pupils live up to the new
rule. the experiments, which were primarily
undertaken at the request of the teachers,
have proved that all strong perfumes are
injurious to the delicate membranes of the
throat
Not only does this apply to the concen-
trated essences that come in bottles, but
even to the fragrant odors that issue from
the covers themselves. The violet's per-
fume, according to the experiments made
with the laryngoscope, is perhaps, the
most injurious of all, and the wearing OF
punches of these simple and proverbially
modest flowers has been strictly forbidden
voices
Prima donnas and other operate signers
have been cautioned concerning the dangers;
that lurk hidden in their corsage bouquets.
and ii is probable that they will no longer
show their appreciation of the magnificent
floral tributes which ardent admirers de-
light in showering upon them, by osten-
tatiously nesting their faces among the
dainty blossoms, and assuming an air OF
esctatic bliss.
After all to a layman to whom the dis
covery was eNpounded, ii really did not
seem so startling, and usual, in fact
the wonder is that no one ever thought 1t
out before For it is well known that the
sense of smell depends for its appreciation
upon the tickling effect produced by the de-
post upon the delicate membranes of the
nose of enthusiastically minute particles
thrown on by the odoriferous object.
Some substances smell not at all. That is
because they either throw off no such par
ticles or because the particles which they
do emit are not of a nature to affect the
olfactory membranes.
Among flowers this is the case particu-
larry. Some have no odor; they fall into
the class of substances just described. The
smell of others is unpleasant because
they throw off particles which are obnox-
ious TO the membranes, and the latter re-
bel. The so-called fragrant flowers, nota-
bly, the rose, the violet and the carnation
literally tickle the olfactory membranes to
a sense of pleasure and enjoyment, though
1t is worthy of note that some persons alb
hor the scent of certain flowers that to the
majority of mankind seem deliciously fra
grant. If. then, these odoriferous particles
have such a lively action upon the nasal
membranes. IL certainly does not appear
strange that when inhaled, they must be
at times. they should have an injurious
effect upon the membranes of the throat
which are at least sensitive as those OF
the nose. 1t requires no great stretch OF
the imagination to conceive that the in
haling of perfumes. therefore, might seri-
ously interfere with an operate singer S
powers. which are so keenly dependent
upon the perfect condition of the laryngeal
membranes.