JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF COSMETIC CHEMISTS these generally increase in size as one gets further away from cities. Since banks in India are not yet accepted as an essential part of civilisation by many people, it is often the custom for the wealth of the family to be invested in jewelled decorations such as the above, and also in gold and silver bracelets and anklets. Eyes and eyelashes are made more attractive by the use of collerium, which is applied to the tips of the eyelids. Collerium is often home-made by grinding fine soot in castor oil, the soot being prepared by burning a wick soaked in castor oil and collecting it on a clean metal surface. Many women also use kohl. Cheeks and dimples are often decorated with tiny black spots, a custom to be compared with the fashion for the beauty-spot once so popular in Western countries. Generally speaking, the Indian probably bathes more than any other nationality in the world, and daily cold baths are the accepted rule. Women anxious to keep their skin soft and supple use finely ground and perfumed Bengal and green grams, and take regular oil-baths, as has already been mentioned. The oil-bath technique is similar to that described under the care of the hair. The water used for bathing may be perfumed with attar or floral extracts. A type of mud-therapy is sometimes resorted to: this consists in making mud-packs from the alluvial mud of the rivers, this being kept in position--maybe for an hour or so. Occasionally, a steam-bath incorporating the medicinal properties of neam leaves is taken, as this is considered to be very useful in opening the pores for greater cleanliness. Neem leaves are dropped into a tub of hot water and the person bathing sits by the side of the tub. The tub and the bather are then enveloped by throwing a blanket over them to prevent the steam from escaping, the steam being generated by drooping some hot bricks into the tub. It may be imagined that profuse perspiration results from this treatment, and it is considered that as the pores are well opened the treatment has also a valuable deodorising and disinfectant effect. This is followed by a normal bath to cleanse the perspiration. It might be mentioned that Indians regard the Western habit of sitting in a bath as most unhygienic, as they contend that the practice of washing in water which is already dirty is of little value. The majority of baths taken by Indians are of cold water, and the usual method of bathing is to squat by a tub or a water-tap and there to pour water over oneself by use of a large tin or other container. Although India is always considered to be a hot country, in many parts the weather in wintertime can be very cold indeed, and one may often see a man having his daily bath whilst at the same time shivering violently. Finger and toe nails are tinted red by the application of a paste prepared from the leaves of the marudani plant (Lawsonia inermis), the paste being allowed to remain on the nails for a considerable time before removal by 206

MORE TRUTH ABOUT ODOUR washing. Feet are sometimes decorated by drawing patterns on them with saffron powder. The soles of the feet and the palms are often brushed with fine sand to make them whiter. Another common feature of South India is the chewing of pan leaves, these being usually taken with betel-nuts and slaked lime (with flavoured and scented tobacco). The value of the pan leaves is claimed to be four-fold: 1. It gives a similar effect to lipstick as it dyes the mouth and lips. 2. It acts as a deodorant, possibly due to the chlorophyll in the leaves. $. It aids in strengthening the gums. 4. It supplies calcium---from the lime used. Whatever the veracity of these claims, this habit of chewing is as predominant in India as a whole as is the chewing of spearmint gum in the United States. It is appreciated that the fringe only of the subject has been here touched upon, but it is hoped that some of the cosmetic habits of the East described above will have proved novel to Western readers. MORE TRUTH ABOUT ODOUR By WILLIAM McCARTNEY, Pi•.D., F.R.I.C. "Le probl•me de l'odeur est un probl•me particuli•rement irritant pour un esprit scientifique. •1 l'imprdcision du vocabulaire, s'ajoute le manque de bases solides et d'expdriences positives. Les donndes pr•cises sont encore tr•s rares. On ne saurait s'en dtonner, etant donnd la difficultd du sujet." BORNAND and MARTINET. IT IS said that Kohlrausch, the eminent German scientist, once remarked of Michael Faraday, "Er riecht die Wahrheit' ("He smells the truth"). The renowned English natural philosopher apparently never studied sensory physiology, but had he been alive to-day, what service to knowledge could he not have rendered by "smelling" the truth about olfaction ! For, indeed, we still remain very ignorant and, as Sparhawk reminded us a few years ago, we must not cease to enquire, "What's the truth about odour ?" (Perf. Ess. Oil Rec., 1945, 36, 187-190). Since established facts are not numerous, there has quite rightly been considerable speculation. If much of this has been unfruitful, however, the reason is, perhaps, because it has not been well grounded on results previously attained. And this failure to lay a foundation, in turn, occurs because, all too frequently, such results are unknown to those who express. opinions, make statements, or conduct experiments. 207'