JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF COSMETIC CHEMISTS 321 SOCIETE SUISSE DES CHEMISTES COSMETICIENS A TWO-DAY meeting was held by the Swiss Society of Cosmetic Chemists in Bern, Marcia 25th and 26th. The program presented follows: Madame Dr. N. Avalle, Sion Messieurs Dr. A. Barbier et Dr. A. Voegeli, Gen•ve Monsieur Dr. Robert Brun, GenSve Messieurs J. Deshu$$e$ et P. Desbaume$, GenSve Monsieur Dr H. C. Friederich, Tfibingen, Germany Monsieur Dr. H. Kilbler, Rheinfelden, Germany Monsieur K. J. Pfeiffer, GenSve Monsieur M. Schmidt, B•le "L'argent oligodynamique et son emploi dans la cosmetique" "Quelques recherches stir les antioxydents" "Eczdma experimental du cobaye" "Apprdciation de la qualitd des cires d'abeille par chromatographie stir colonne" "Dermatite de Berlock" "La signification des formulations des chlorurcs organlques en a&osols cosm•tiques" "La chimie cosm&ique cornroe science" "D•veloppement et tendances de la l•gislation concernant les colorants ?t usage cosm&ique, en particulier du point comparatif en Suisse et en Europe" Left to right, M.P. Desbaumes, M. F. Riondel, Dr. M. Mottier, Dr. Walker, Dr. G. Malet, M. K. J. Pfeiffer, Dr. N. Avalle, Dr. R. Taugwalder, Dr. W. Guex, Dr. A. Barbier, Dr. R. Brun.

BOOK REVIEWS PERFUMES, COSMETICS AND SOAP, by William A. Poucher, Vol. I, 6th Ed., 1959. 463 pages, illustrated, Ap- pendix I, II, III. Price $12.50 Vol. II, 7th. Ed., 1959. 453 pages, illustrated and index. Price $12.50, Princeton, N.J., D. Van Nostrand Co. Poucher's works have always been of special value to perfumers and would-be perfumers for he brought together, within the covers of his books, a happy combination--a glossary of the rare, the recent, and the exotic, as well as the standard aromatic items, along with a reliable and readable odor description of them. His accent was on odor and not on the chemistry or chemical and physical constants of the mate- rials he discussed. In a field as secretive as the fragrance industry, he was one of the few who dared disclose the odor properties and applications of the many raw mate- rials. The volumes were iv, forma- tive and inspirational, and many a neophyte took his first faltering steps with these, the guide books to the romance and mysteries of crea- tive perfumery. This was the situa- tion that existed in the 1920's when the first volumes of his books came out. Now a golden opportunity has presented itself. Fifteen years have gone by since the last edition and re- vision, and in this period we have gathered a fantastic harvest of new aromatics, have acquired a vastly improved knowledge of older aro- matics and of the essential oils new essential oil producing areas have appeared, and of course we have witnessed the inevitable cast- ing aside of a certain number of materials, both natural and syn- thetic, which are no longer interest- ing. The Sixth Edition of Volume I, unfortunately, is more of a re- print than a revision. The passing of fifteen years, nay even thirty years, has not brought about a re-orientation of the author's opin- ions, descriptions, or applications. Despite studies around the globe on the essential oils, the references quoted are still those of thirty or forty years ago. The text itself is badly in need of rewriting as, for instance, under the monograph on Ambergris he writes, "Even in these times of depression" obviously re- ferring to the early 30's, certainly not to the late 50's. Flower har- vesting and processing is no doubt the same, or almost the same, today as it was at the time of World War I. However, the photographs of these workers in their early 1900's garb lends them a rather quaint, old- fashioned charm but hardly invokes the impression that this is an up-to- date reference book. One deeply regrets that this unique work has been allowed to become obsolete. With a re-evaluation in the light of modern information, it still could be the outstanding perfumery primer and reference work. Volume I has always been burdened with de- scriptions and use information of a large number of cosmetic and phar- maceutical raw materials that might better fit in Volume III. Volume II of this new edition 322