[CHAPTER I].PAGE
The History of Perfumery1
[CHAPTER II].
About Aromatic Substances in General6
[CHAPTER III].
Odors from the Vegetable Kingdom13
[CHAPTER IV].
The Aromatic Vegetable Substances Employed in Perfumery20
[CHAPTER V].
The Animal Substances Used in Perfumery57
[CHAPTER VI].
The Chemical Products Used in Perfumery63
A. Chemicals Used for the Extraction of Aromatic Substances[64]
B. Chemical Products Used for the Preparation of Perfumes[68]
C. The Colors Used in Perfumery[87]
[CHAPTER VII].
The Extraction of Odors87
[CHAPTER VIII].
The Special Characteristics of Aromatic Substances118
[CHAPTER IX].
The Adulteration of Essential Oils and their Recognition139
[CHAPTER X].
The Essences or Extracts Employed in Perfumery146
[CHAPTER XI].
Directions for Making the Most Important Essences and Extracts150
[CHAPTER XII].
The Division of Perfumery166
[CHAPTER XIII].
The Manufacture of Handkerchief Perfumes, Bouquets, or Aromatic Waters167
[CHAPTER XIV].
Formulas for Handkerchief Perfumes169
[CHAPTER XV].
Ammoniacal and Acid Perfumes199
[CHAPTER XVI].
Dry Perfumes207
[CHAPTER XVII].
Formulas for Dry Perfumes (Sachets)209
[CHAPTER XVIII].
The Perfumes Used for Fumigation214
[CHAPTER XIX].
Hygienic and Cosmetic Perfumery225
[CHAPTER XX].
Preparations for the Care of the Skin227
[CHAPTER XXI].
Formulas for the Preparation of Emulsions, Meals, Pastes, Vegetable Milk,and Cold-Creams230
[CHAPTER XXII].
The Preparations Used for the Care of the Hair (Pomades and Hair Oils)245
[CHAPTER XXIII].
Formulas for the Manufacture of Pomades and Hair Oils247
[CHAPTER XXIV].
Preparations for the Care of the Mouth257
[CHAPTER XXV].
Cosmetic Perfumery269
[CHAPTER XXVI].
Skin Cosmetics and Face Lotions270
[CHAPTER XXVII].
Hair Cosmetics280
[CHAPTER XXVIII].
Hair Dyes and Depilatories285
[CHAPTER XXIX].
Wax Pomades, Bandolines, and Brillantines294
[CHAPTER XXX].
The Colors Used in Perfumery297
[CHAPTER XXXI].
The Utensils Used in the Toilet301

Perfumes and their Preparation.

[CHAPTER I.]
THE HISTORY OF PERFUMERY.

The gratification of his senses is peculiar to man, and it is to this trait that we are indebted for all the arts. The activities which aimed at the gratification of the eye and ear developed into the creative arts and music, and in like manner human endeavor directed toward the stimulation of the sense of smell has in our time assumed the proportions both of an art and a science; for it was nothing but the advancement of chemistry that made it possible to fix all the pleasant odors offered by nature and to create new perfumes by the artistic combination of these scents. The preparation of perfumes is a very ancient art that is met with among all peoples possessed of any degree of civilization. It is particularly the ancient nations of the Orient which had in truth become masters in the manufacture of numerous perfumes.

The first perfume was the fragrant flower; it has continued to be so to the present day: the sprig of dried lavender flowers which we lay in the clothes-press was probably used for the same purpose by the contemporaries of Aristotle. In the Orient, which we may look upon as the cradle of the art of perfumery, the idea suggested itself early to substitute for the delicious fragrance of the flowers some substances of lasting odor; various sweet-scented resins supplied the material for this purpose. The use of these aromatic resins must have been very extensive: the ancient Egyptians alone consumed extraordinary quantities for embalming their dead. How highly the Oriental peoples in general prized perfumes can be learned from the Bible: the Jews (like the Catholics to the present day) employed an aromatic gum-resin (olibanum, frankincense) in their religious ceremonies; in the Song of Solomon mention is made of Indian perfumes, for instance, cinnamon, spikenard, myrrh, and aloes.

Altogether, incense played a prominent part in the religious ceremonies of the ancient Western Asiatic nations—among many peoples under a theocratic government it was even believed to be sinful to use incense for other than religious purposes. The Bible teaches us that Ezekiel and Isaiah protested against it, and that Moses even prescribed the preparation of certain kinds of incense for use in the tabernacle.

Among the most highly civilized people of antiquity, the Greeks, a large number of fragrant substances, as well as oils perfumed with them—that is to say, perfumes in the same sense as we still understand the term—was known; this will be no surprise to those familiar with the culture of this remarkable people. The odor of violets was the favorite among the Greeks; besides this they used the scent of the different mints, thyme, marjoram, and other aromatic plants. This was carried so far as to become a matter of fashion for the Greek fop to use only certain odors in the form of ointments for the hair, others for the neck, etc. In order to prevent this luxury which was carried to such an excess, Solon even promulgated a law that interdicted the sale of fragrant oils to Athenian men (the law did not apply to the women).

The Romans, who were the pupils of the Greeks in all the arts, carried the luxury with perfumes perhaps even farther. In ancient Rome there was a very numerous guild of perfumers called unguentarii; they are said to have had a street to themselves in Capua. A Patrician Roman anointed himself three times daily with precious, sweet-scented oils which he personally took along into his bath in golden vessels of exquisite workmanship, so-called nartheciæ. At the funeral of his wife Poppæa, Nero is said to have used as incense more odorous substances than could be produced in one year in Arabia, at that time the only reputed source of perfumes. This luxury went so far that during the games in the open amphitheatres the whole air was filled with sweet odors ascending from numerous censers arranged in a circle. The apartments of well-to-do Romans always contained large and very valuable urns filled with dried blossoms, to keep the air permanently perfumed.