JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF COSMETIC CHEMISTS in the rapid determination of many substances, particularly when they are present only in small concentrations. ACKNOWLEDGMENT The author wishes to express his thanks to the Directors of County Laboratories, Ltd., for permission to publish this paper. REFERENCES • Clark, G. R., y. Soc. Cos. Cicero., 1951, 2,290. '" Moore & Stein, •f. t•iol. Chem., 1948, 176, 367. a Bolton & Marshall, Soap and Sanitary Chemicals, 1949, 25, 129. • Hawksley, B.C.U.t?./t., 1944, 8, 245 (Review). • Lederer & Tchen, Bull. Soc. Chim. Biol., 1945, 27, 419, via •f.C.S., 1949, 2121 6 Anal. Meth. Comm. Rep. Analyst, 1954, 79, 397. ? Fogh, Rasmussen & Skadhauge, Anal. Chem., 1954, 26,392. /t Lecture delivered to the Society on 5th ]kIarch, •r954 TALKING OF PERFUMES AGAIN By J. PICKTHAnr, F.R.I.C.* I•TRODUCTION THERE MUST be a number of non-technical members of this audience who are interested in perfumes and who would like to know something of their nature and the way in which they are employed. Further, many of our technical members use or handle perfumes without, perhaps, having had the opportunity of giving the subject a comprehensive study. Nobody would doubt the importance of perfumes in the cosmetic and associated industries: they are as important to success as attractive packing and presentation. One might add that a perfume continues to please the buyer long after the appeal of the container has faded. Most people in this world are favourably impressed by a good perfume, although naturally preferences are widely divergent. Even the men, although often reluctant to admit it, are influenced by odour. My aim this evening is to introduce perfumery to those who know it only by name, to assist those with a working knowledge and to interest the experts. Perfumery, although one of the oldest arts of expression, is young in a scientific sense. We know little of the mode of action of odour perception and much work of a scientific nature remains to be undertaken before we can develop theories. Frankly, I do not believe that the many classifications offered have greatly helped either the established or the budding perfumer. The well-known numerical classification, I am afraid, confuses without offering a starting-point as a language or even an alphabet for perfumers. It is this lack of descriptive words that makes perfumery so difficult to * Polak & Schwarz (England) Ltd., Enfield, Middx. 182

JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF COSMETIC CHEMISTS in the rapid determination of many substances, particularly when they are present only in small concentrations. ACKNOWLEDGMENT The author wishes to express his thanks to the Directors of County Laboratories, Ltd., for permission to publish this paper. REFERENCES • Clark, G. R., y. Soc. Cos. Cicero., 1951, 2,290. '" Moore & Stein, •f. t•iol. Chem., 1948, 176, 367. a Bolton & Marshall, Soap and Sanitary Chemicals, 1949, 25, 129. • Hawksley, B.C.U.t?./t., 1944, 8, 245 (Review). • Lederer & Tchen, Bull. Soc. Chim. Biol., 1945, 27, 419, via •f.C.S., 1949, 2121 6 Anal. Meth. Comm. Rep. Analyst, 1954, 79, 397. ? Fogh, Rasmussen & Skadhauge, Anal. Chem., 1954, 26,392. /t Lecture delivered to the Society on 5th ]kIarch, •r954 TALKING OF PERFUMES AGAIN By J. PICKTHAnr, F.R.I.C.* I•TRODUCTION THERE MUST be a number of non-technical members of this audience who are interested in perfumes and who would like to know something of their nature and the way in which they are employed. Further, many of our technical members use or handle perfumes without, perhaps, having had the opportunity of giving the subject a comprehensive study. Nobody would doubt the importance of perfumes in the cosmetic and associated industries: they are as important to success as attractive packing and presentation. One might add that a perfume continues to please the buyer long after the appeal of the container has faded. Most people in this world are favourably impressed by a good perfume, although naturally preferences are widely divergent. Even the men, although often reluctant to admit it, are influenced by odour. My aim this evening is to introduce perfumery to those who know it only by name, to assist those with a working knowledge and to interest the experts. Perfumery, although one of the oldest arts of expression, is young in a scientific sense. We know little of the mode of action of odour perception and much work of a scientific nature remains to be undertaken before we can develop theories. Frankly, I do not believe that the many classifications offered have greatly helped either the established or the budding perfumer. The well-known numerical classification, I am afraid, confuses without offering a starting-point as a language or even an alphabet for perfumers. It is this lack of descriptive words that makes perfumery so difficult to * Polak & Schwarz (England) Ltd., Enfield, Middx. 182