| “HELEN ip His 
nately, the growers of orris root and the inutiles of orris - 
products managed to get the prices back on a fair level. During the 
war, prices were again high and unsettled but are now backto a 
normal basis, | 
From Verona, in north east Italy, comes the Veronese orris root, 
the product of Iris germanica, which is inferior to the Florentine, 
being darker in color and less fragrant. Of still poorer quality is the 
Mogador root, or that exported from Morocco. Inorder to make this 
root more presentable it is often bleached with sulphuric acid by 
unscrupulous dealers. ~ 
Occasionally, a few huge bales of orris root from India have been 
offered in the London market, but the material was practically wor- 
thless as it had not been properly grown nor collected. : Orris root is 
also produced in China, but is rarely entered in the European or 
American markets. 
Orris products occupy a highly important place in the manufac- 
ture of perfumes, toilet preparations and soaps. Scarecely an article 
on Milady’s dressing table but what is indebted in some way to 
orris root, for its perfume, as an ingredient or as anaid in manufac- 
ture, etc. On the market, today, are many interesting and excellent 
products derived from orris root. 
First, comes the powdered root itself, which forms an important 
ingredient in many toilet powders, tales, complexion, tooth, foot, 
hair, baby powders, and even others orris root is doubly valuable. 
It has, besides its delightful violet fragrance, a property that is 
known among perfumers as a ‘‘ fixative quality ”. In preparing 
perfume extracts and perfumed powders, it is essential to reproduce 
the conditions existing in the flower — to have the odor given off 
gradually. This is done by adding to the perfume preparation a 
substance such as orris root which retards the evaporation of the 
flower odor. Consequently, tinctures of orris root form important 
ingredients of many natural flower essences and in synthetic per- 
fumes too. Powdered orris root is added to the pure fat base 
employed by the perfumer in the enfleuraging process.  Belfore the 
days of the present delightfull talcum and baby powders, violet 
powder was used, which was prepared by mixing starches and fra- 
grant oils with orris root. 
Next, but of prime importance, is orris oil. It is only within the 
last few years that this orris product has been developed to its pre- 
sent excellence, but that does not signify that it is a comparatively 
new preparation. Thecompounding of fragrantiris oils and odorous 
salves was no small industry in Macedonia, Corinth and Elis in the 
days of the ancient kings. Oil of orris has been the subject of many 
experiments and much thought on the part of scientists until, as it 
