Abstract
DURING the last half-century perfumery has in part become a branch of synthetic organic chemistry. Many of the odoriferous constituents of natural per fumes (e.g. vanillin and heliotropine) are prepared synthetically in a pure state, and some substitutes (e.g. “artificial musk,” trinitrobutyl xylene) for natural perfumes are now in use. The rare natural perfumes such as musk have not yet been produced in the test-tube. With the production of the materials, however, the perfumer's art has made only a beginning and much depends on the skilful blending of the constituents. Mr. Parry has given a simple and interesting account of his subject. It is non-technical, and perhaps might have included a little more of the chemistry involved. The latter is of so complicated a character that it would perhaps not have been intelligible to the ordinary reader. The address of the president of the Chemical Section of the British Associa tion last year (NATURE, October 20,1921, p. 243) shows, however, that something can be done in this direction.
The Raw Materials of Perfumery: Their Nature, Occurrence and Employment.
By E. J. Parry. (Pitman's Common Commodities and Industries.) Pp. ix + 112. (London: Sir Isaac Pitman and Sons, Ltd., n.d.) 3s. net.
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The Raw Materials of Perfumery: Their Nature, Occurrence and Employment . Nature 109, 305 (1922). https://doi.org/10.1038/109305a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/109305a0