About Perfumes

A slab in the great palace of Nineveh represents a lady fainting and an attendant holding a smelling bottle, probably of perfumes, to her nose to revive her. At the court of Louis XIV. the use of perfume was so general among both gentlemen and ladies that throughout Europe it wás known as the "Scented Court." Perfumes are now extensively manufactured in the United States, and the native articles are said by experts to compare favorably with foreign manufactures. From the gastar, repulsive in its original condition, the art of chemistry has developed an immense variety of essential oils and essences of fruits and flowers. The use of perfumes became so extravagant in Athens during the time of Solon that he issued an edict forbidding Athenlans to use them except in certain specifiëd cases. Many perfumes are believed to be antiseptic in their qualities, and some physicians entertain the opinión that a more liberal use of them in the sick room wouid be beneficial. The perfumers of Rome lived In a special quarter set apart for their use, and whole streets were lined with their shops, which were lounging places for wealthy young nobles. The fruits and flowers which attain greatest perfection and the highest fragrance in South Europe afford favorable facilities for the manufacture of perfumes and essences.