152 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



posed essence of mustard, while believing himself to be making only 

 allylsulphocyanic ether. These discoveries produced a sensation. 

 Nowadays the chemist possesses the means of creating many other 

 natural essences. Common camphor, essence of bitter-almonds, that 

 of cummin and of cinnamon, which are aldehydes, as we have seen, 

 may be prepared without camphor-leaves or almonds, without cummin 

 or cinnamon. Besides these ethers and aldehydes whose identity with 

 essences of vegetable origin has been proved, there exist, among the 

 new bodies known to organic chemistry, a certain number of products 

 formed by the union of common alcohol or amylic alcohol with diifer- 

 ent acids, that is to say, of ethers, which have aromatic odors more 

 or less resembling those of some fruits, but as to which it cannot yet 

 be affirmed that the odors are due to the same principles in both cases. 

 However this may be, perfumers and confectioners, more industrious 

 and wide-awake than chemists, have immediately made good use of 

 these properties. Artificial aromatic oils made their first appearance 

 at the World's Fair of London in 1851. There was there exhibited a 

 pear-oil, diffusing a pleasant smell like that of a jargonel,. and em- 

 ployed to give an aroma to bonbons. This product is nothing else 

 than a solution of amylacetic ether in alcohol. Apple-oil was exhibit- 

 ed beside the pear-oil, having the fragrance of the best rennets, and 

 produced by dissolving amylvaleric ether in alcohol. The commonest 

 essence was that of pineapple, which is nothing else than ordinary 

 butyric ether. There was observed, too, an essence of cognac, or 

 grape-oil, used to impart to poor brandies the highly-prized aroma of 

 cognac. The product which Was then, and still is, the most impor- 

 tant article of manufacture, is the essence of " mirbane," which very 

 closely resembles in its odor that of bitter almonds, and which com- 

 merce very often substitutes for the latter. Essence of mirbane is 

 nothing else than nitrobenzine, which results from the action of nitric 

 acid on benzine. Benzine, in turn, is met with among the products 

 of distillation of tar, which also yield the substances used in prepar- 

 ing those beautiful colors called aniline. Besides the essences we 

 have just mentioned, which are gaining an increasing importance in 

 the manufacturing arts, artificial essences of quinces are also prepared, 

 and essences of strawberries, of rum, etc. All these preparations 

 serve, it must be admitted, to give an aroma to the cordials, confec- 

 tioneries, and sweetmeats, which are so largely sold nowadays. In 

 other words, the products of industry are constantly taking the place 

 of those of Nature more and more. In all these cases, these instances 

 of composition of odorous principles are among the finest triumphs of 

 organic chemistry. The creative power of the chemist is ever widen- 

 ing its range. After the labors of Piria, Wertheim, and Cahours, 

 came those of Berthelot, who has imitated the fatty matters of the 

 animal economy. We are at this moment in progress toward the ar- 

 tificial manufacture of sugar. If we succeed in that, nothing more 



