SOME ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF PERFUMERY 311 ' their pioneering activities in establishing essential oil production in all parts of the world. I have suggested that a lot of unreported trials must have taken place in the nineteenth century, and it is correspondingly difficult to establish satisfactory alternative sources in the twentieth century. You mention local consumption. This is greatly to be desired since it implies a certain degree of protection to a nascent industry. One has the feeling that production for local consumption in such countries as India and Turkey may one day result in the emergence of important new essential oil industries. It is greatly to be desired that the former British colonies should also foster their local production. Apart from the well known essential oils I foresee a greatly increased consumption of Galbanum, Cascarilla, Khas, etc. DR. Y.-R. NAVES: Should you not emphasise the larger variation in price of raw materials of vegetable origin in particular florals, concretes and absolutes ? These major variations are determined only in part by the hazards of cultivation. T•E LECTURER: I think Dr. Naves has in mind that I ought to have pointed out the advantages which ensue if one can once establish formulae relying, so far as the main part of their cost is concerned, on synthetics. A great part of my own work is devoted to this end. I think it only right to point out, however, that in so far as the major oils are concerned, no precisely identical chemical substitutes exist. One may, of course, get excel- lent results with chemical blends, but these results are never quite the same as with the natural and to that extent one has changed the terms of reference of the problem. DR. Y.-R. NAVES: It is certainly dear that the distribution of production amongst several distinct geographical and political areas is favourable to the consumer. The latter must envisage the conjoint use in his formulae of products obtained from these different geographical and political centres in order to be in a position to counteract the economic consequences of price increases due to local conditions or scarcity of one of these products. In the same way, the consumer must accept the use of suitable substitutes alongside the natural products. T•E LECTURER: I agree with Dr. Naves that it is important to use oils from a number of disconnected sources, and that one should use chemical bases also if possible. The advantages of the price stability resulting from this policy are extremely important. On the other hand, on a cost for cost basis the quality of the end product is seldom improved and not infrequently spoiled to some extent. DR. Y.-R. NAVES: Doubtless it is well to remember that the large

312 JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF COSMETIC CHEMISTS increase in the culture of varieties of high yielding lavender (Matheronne and Maillette) was due to the peasants' faulty assessment of the reception which could be given by consumers of essential oils to the products of new plantations. I recall the position described in Soap, Perfumery and Cosmetics, 1,110 (1959). Dr. Tullen and I showed [Bull. Soc. Chim. France 2,124 (1960)1 that Materon lavender oil is characterised by a content of terpinene-l-ol-4 almost double (3-3.5% compared with approx. 1.5%) that of a good lavender oil. That is one of the causes of its depreciation, and the analyst must pay particular attention to it. THE LECTURER: I have regarded the production of Materon lavender as an example of what can happen when an effort is made to increase yield without any attempt to assess the effect on the finished odour. You draw my attention to the observations by Robertet in 1959 that Materon lavender was sold during the first three years of its production at the same price as the fine oils. This surprises me since even at the outset Materon was never offered to me at more than about half the price of good lavender, the thesis being that the trade should find room for an oil of acknowledged lower quality which could be used in less expensive products such as soaps and bath salts. As I see it, the producers thought that an oil would certainly be accepted if it had the right analytical characteristics regard- less of its odour. They were proved wrong. It is interesting to compare this experience with the much more deliberate and careful introduction of the high ester or Super Lavandin--a plant which has been known I believe at least as long as Materon. With the Lavandin the perfumer's opinion was sought from the outset and the oil is coming into use very much as was foreseen. We are indebted to you for indicating the cause of the disagreeable character of Materon lavender. DR. Y.-R. N2tvEs: Long experience of producing new synthetic per- fumery materials makes us rather cautious with respect to your desire that their nature should be divulged under the protection of patents, instead of using them secretly in bases. It is almost always very difficult to foretell which of these products will achieve large production. A general protection of a product, even if it is possible in all cases, is extremely costly. The protection of rights thus acquired is almost always very long and also costly it is moreover often uncertain because of gaps, inadequacies or errors in the law. Finally, in certain countries and not least for the consumption of synthetic perfumes, it is possible to introduce the product made elsewhere. It is not only sea transport which is acquainted with "pavilions de complaisance".