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".

SOME ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF PERFUMERY 313 It is therefore necessary to understand that, considering the costs of research and of production development of a truly original product and the legal possibility of continuing its production in spite of patent demands by third parties, the industry is not obliged to divulge the nature of such products by way of patents. It is clear that analytical facilities are constantly improving but it is well to reflect that there is often a great deal of work and expense between identifying a new substance and being able to produce it economically and consistently. It is not possible to establish a general rule for or against the dis- closure of a new product. Each case must be considered on its own merits. THE LECTURER: I accept your observation unreservedly. I am sure if I were in your position I would have very similar feelings. Nevertheless, it is a pity that so much has to remain concealed and one wonders whether some kind of agreement could be reached between leading manufacturers which might enable the pooling of a certain amount of the less vital in- formation with a consequent rationalisation of production. Seeing the matter from my side of the fence I have often suspected that several different concerns were manufacturing the same secret chemicals unknown to each other. DR. 3/[. H. KLOUWEN : I agree completely with you that the olfactive judgement should be of primary importance. But in many cases support for this opinion can be found in chemical or physical analysis. Experiments carried out by the Institute of Horticultural Plant Breeding (I.V.T., Wageningen, Netherlands) showed that the yield of oil of Angelica archangelica roots could be significally improved by way of selection [De Bruyn, J. W., Elzenga, G., and Keuls, M., Euphytica 3 147 (1954)]. The content of pentadecanolide, olfactively the most important constituent of the oil, was at the same time correspondingly decreased. THE LECTURER: I think your question illustrates a problem which very frequently arises in plant selection. If one seeks to improve one factor, in this case the yield, one almost invariably finds that another factor is adversely affected. I am not myself a large user of Angelica and do not know what precise characteristics are most sought after in this oil. The pentadecanolide content must be of importance since it is indeed a very beautiful substance but since it may be purchased at quite an economically acceptable price it seems to me that the other constituents of oil of Angelica are probably, in aggregate, more important. One would have to examine the oils obtained by plant selection to see whether some other characteristics