126 Report of Schimmel § Co. 1922. 



this the observer remains in the box for five minutes (while the lamp radiates) with 

 closed eyes screened by euphos-glass spectacles. 



The experiments showed that in the camera inodorata the minimum per ceptibile was 

 on the average 25 per cent, lower than in ordinary surroundings. 



The camera may be used also as a camera odorata by volatilizing a measured 

 quantity of odorous substance and carrying out the olfactometric measurements in the 

 scented atmosphere. 



The firm of Lautier Fils, of Grasse, have constructed an appliance called "evapol- 

 factometer" and designed for the recognition and valuation of odours. The apparatus 

 was invented by Oddo 1 ), and it consists of a thermometer, the mercury bulb of which 

 is surrounded by an electrical resistance, and a very fine polished silver sheath. 

 A rheostat above the thermometer permits of varying the current intensity, and hence 

 the temperature. In use, the compound perfume liquid to be tested is poured on the 

 silver rod and the temperature increased slowly. The separate odours are said to 

 evaporate according to their degrees of volatility and may be perceived singly and 

 one after another. This new process of analysing odorous bodies claims to offer 

 various advantages over the usual method of testing by a spill of paper. 



The sense of smell and the recognition of smells is rarely exercised and hence but 

 feebly developed with most people. The following experiment was carried out at the Phila- 

 delphia College of Pharmacy and showed to which extent mistakes in recognizing smells 

 occur even with skilled persons 2 ). A series of 15 liquid odorous substances was sub- 

 mitted to twenty men, all with a more or less complete pharmaceutical training. The 

 purpose of the test was to identify the odour of each specimen. Oil of turpentine was 

 the substance which was best recognized, by all except three, which called it in turn, 

 oil of anise, oil of caraway, and pine oil. Alcohol was difficultly recognized by the 

 majority, on the other hand, vinegar 3 ) was easily identified. Oil of cinnamon was reported 

 by three persons as oil of anise, oil of bitter almond, and oil of wintergreen. Kerosene 

 and gasoline were confusing to quite a number. Two men reported gasoline as chloro- 

 form, two others took kerosene for carbon disulphide. Creosote was judged by five 

 as oil of clove, by five others as cresol. Only two men failed to identify methyl sali- 

 cylate, who took it for oil of peppermint. Benzaldehyde was judged twice as nitro- 

 benzene, oil of orange eight times as oil of lemon. One man took ether for ethyl nitrite. 

 Linseed oil was recognized by nine persons, ten reporting it as fish oil or cod liver oil, 

 and one taking it as neatsfoot oil. The identification of oil of nutmeg was not attempted 

 by three of the men, three reported oil of turpentine, one reported it as oil of colander, 

 and one as oil of cardamom. One of the students had no smelling sence for hydrogen 

 sulphide and admitted that he detected only the most powerful odours. 



On former occasions, we reported on the interesting investigations by K. von Frisch 4 ) 

 on the sense of smell in bees. The same author 5 ) publishes now numerous new experi- 

 ments on the "sign-language" of the bees. It could not be established beyond doubt 

 whether the bees communicate by means of sounds; at any rate, however, the author 

 was able to prove that the bees inform each other on the presence of food by some 

 sort of sign-language. This communication is effected, in accord with the darkness in 



x ) Perfnm. Record. 12 (1921), 135. — 2 ) R. R. Foran, Amer.Journ. Pharm. 93 (1921), 683. — 3 ) According 

 to Weiss, vinegar acts not on the olfactory organ, but on the sense of touch. Cf. Report October 1915, 70. 

 — 4 ) Reports 1917, 121; 1919, 108. — 5 ) Munch, med. Wochenschr. 1920, p. 566; 1921, p. 509. As per a separate 

 copy kindly forwarded to us. 



