The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-08-30
FLOWERS CAUSE INTERROGATION.
Strange Effect of Sweet-Scented Bios
som on Some People.

oo4Ai ch SoO4A4O Z OOP1Cs
Beware of the beautiful sweet scented
flowers!
There is danger of intoxication and
poisoning lurking in every Whit OF
their fragrance, says science.
1t is an indisputable fact,'' says
General Stephen Weld, president of the
Boston Horticultural Society, that
under favorable conditions, the odors of
some well-known flowers are as dan
gerous to sensitively organized people
as many drugs and stimulants. =
Georgianna Ashton, an English sing
er of note, who was recently arrested in
London on a charge of intoxication, de-
clared that the house in which she had
been singing was SO lavishly decorated
with flowers that she had been COM
pletely overcome by the heavy scents,
and thus thrown into a condition re-
sembling intoxication.
A parallel instance is cited from the
history of the world renowned Jenny
Lind, who, appearing upon one occasion
TO respond to an encore, buried her
face during the prelude in huge bunch
of violets which she had just received.
When she raised her head she was I'M
able to utter a note. A moment before
she had been easily bowling and smiling
to her enthusiastic audience, but in that
brief instant the fragrance had so over
powered her that she had to be almost
carried from the stage
The story of the two Italian lovers
who persisted some months ago when
locked IN conservatory by jealous
stepmother bears out the theory.
1t. is said that there is a growing
prevalence among nervously organized
women of what might be called a
flower habit which has in many
eases gained such hold over indivi-
duals as TO be justly compared with
the drug habits.
One nervous wreck confessed to her
physician that she couldn It live with
out the odor of lavender.
Another society woman says that she
never dimes out without carrying with
her huge bouquet of roses, because
she found that, under the stimulus of
their scent, she talked easily and bril-
liantly, while without them she was in
variably dull and speechless.
Another pertinent. incident is one
which happened on the event of fash
ionable wedding.
The bride had been cheerful and calm
during the long and tedious ordeal of
robing for the ceremony, until box of
orange blossoms was
brought into the room to complete her
toilet.
Laughing at the remark of brides
maid she bent over the fragrant clus- |
tiers and laid her cheek against them.
Soon the attendants noticed that her |
cheeks became wildly flushed and her |
eyes abnormally bright She began to
talk ramblingly and incoherently in a
high pitched voice, and exhibited every
mark of intoxication. Finally, without I
a word of warning, she dropped in
helpless heap. crying, 1.-THE orange
lowers, take them away.
1t was not until the Objectionable
blossoms had been carried from thu
room and replaced by lilies of the val
ey that the moaning girl became her
self
The perfumes of some flowers affect
he breathing or digestion, or cause
dizziness and fainting. Among these
are the vanilla, pitisporum, japanese
)rivet, tuberose, jasmine and lilac. and
some lilies are actually dangerous.
The flower of the oleander exercises a
narcotic effect.
ViOlets are forbidden to singers, as
heir odor induces contraction and
.ventually congestion of the vocal
ords.
Among all Eastern peoples scented
lowers and the shade of perfumed
rees are Indispensable to the enjoy
nents of the higher classes of society.
Jpon festal occasions the hilarity is
much increased by amounting the guests
With essences of saffron, cinnamon,
pikenard and lilies.-Boston Post.