Читать книгу Perfumes and Their Preparation - George William Askinson - Страница 10

Table of Contents

Every fragrant portion of a plant can be used for the preparation of an aromatic substance, and therefore for the manufacture of a perfume. Hence we are unable, in the following enumeration of the aromatic vegetable substances, to make any claim to absolute completeness; for every new scientific expedition may acquaint us with hitherto unknown plants from which the finest odors may be obtained. We have said above that we have not yet even fixed in our perfumes all the odors of the known aromatic plants, and therefore there is still a large field open to the progressive manufacturer.

In the following pages we must restrict ourselves to the description of those aromatic vegetable substances which are used in the laboratories of the most advanced and scientific perfumers for the manufacture of odors. At the same time we lay particular stress on the fact that the knowledge of these raw materials is a matter of the greatest importance to the manufacturer of perfumes because it enables him to appreciate the differences, often very minute, between fine and inferior qualities. Every manufacturer who aims at the production of fine goods must make it the rule to use nothing but the best raw materials.

The price of the latter is apparently disproportionately high; for all that, only the most expensive materials should be bought, for it is the only kind that can be used. Let us give but two instances in illustration. We find in the market, grades of vanilla the prices of which are as one to four; the latter is fresh and contains the aromatic substance in large amount; the former is old, dry, and worthless, with an artificial glossy surface and little odor. The differences in the price are still greater in an aromatic substance of animal origin, musk, the cheapest grades of which are altogether artificial and perfumed with a mere trace of genuine musk.

Of course, the same remark applies to the raw materials of animal origin and to the chemical products, all of which should be of the greatest purity obtainable.

The aromatic substances at present employed in perfumery for the extraction of odors are the following.