FRAGRANCE: ITS BENEFICIAL EFFECTS 113 



highly advantageous to health in the lungs and the 

 arteries, from the development of ozone ; and, indeed, 

 the statement may be ventured of fragrant herbs of all 

 kinds that, wherever the sun shines upon them, they 

 express (as has been quaintly said) their gratefulness 

 in health-giving ozone. Everybody knows the won- 

 derful (because inexplicable) effect of lavender water, 

 eau-de-Cologne, and attar of roses in driving off head- 

 aches, pacifying the agitated nerves, and invigorating 



20 the jaded mind. But even to robust people in steady 

 health the effect of certain sweet odours is to stimulate 

 the mental faculties and to give positive pleasure 

 to their exercise. On temperament, too, they have 

 beneficial influence. In counteracting or combating 

 mental disease sweet odours may yet find a recognized 

 place in practical pathology. 



In one of his Essays Sir William Temple records the 

 effect of a visit to the India House at Amsterdam. 

 He and his party were among vast stores of all kinds 



so of spicery cloves, nutmegs, mace, cinnamon, &c. and 

 felt so relieved and recreated by the aromatic fragrance 

 all round them as to enjoy for a long time afterwards 

 an exaltation of good health and good humour much 

 beyond their ordinary cheerful experience. There- 

 upon he wrote, lamenting the neglect of scents in 

 modern physic. And John Evelyn was no less 

 emphatic, and even waxed eloquent, in his advocacy 

 of the odours of leaf and flower. It was he that 

 soberly proposed to make London the healthiest and 



40 happiest city in Christendom by encompassing it with 

 hedgerows of sweet briar, rosemary, jessamine, &c., 

 and with plots of lilies, musk, and marjoram. 



EDITOR. 



