PERFUMES AND ESSENTIAL OILS 



353 



CH, GH, 



CH-CH : CH-CO-CH 3 



CH-CH, 



The odours of the a and /3 modifications of ionone are described 

 by an expert as distinguishable by the practised nose. ; ' The 

 alpha-ionone is excessively sweet, having the light fragrance of 

 the violet, whilst the beta is of a heavier type, more suitable 

 for soap manufacture. Many of the artificial violet products 

 sold are blends of these two bodies with natural ingredients, 

 such as extract or oil of orris, essence of cassia, etc. 



" Preparations are also made from both violet flowers and 

 violet leaves which are particularly useful as bases. A new 

 series of preparations has recently been brought out termed 

 Kaldeines, which are methyl derivatives of ionone " (J. C. 

 Umney, Perfumery and Essential Oil Record, July 9, 1912). 



Many other perfumes are produced artificially. The following 

 will perhaps be considered sufficient by way of example. The 

 flowers of the May or Hawthorn (Cratcegus oxyacantha) are believed 

 to owe their fragrance to the presence of anisic aldehyde C 6 H 4 

 1(CHO)4(OCH 3 ), though at present direct evidence is not on 

 record. Otto of rose is a mixture of substances of which geraniol, 

 C(CH 8 ) a : CH-CH 2 -CH 2 -C(CH 3 ) : CH-CH 2 OH, is the principal 

 ingredient. It contains also another interesting compound 

 which can be made artificially by a process which has been 

 patented. This is phenyl-ethyl alcohol, C 6 H 5 -CH 2 -CH 2 OH, 

 which is obtained from phenyl-acetic acid ester by reduction by 

 sodium. It is soluble in 60 parts of water, hence very little 

 remains in the otto, the greater part remaining in the rose water, 

 which has a peculiar odour of its own. 



2 A 



