104 Report of Schimmel § Co. April/October 1917. 



Notes on Scientific Research in the Domain of the 

 Terpenes and Essential Oils. 



General. 



Homage to Wallach on his 70 th birthday. — A. Binz 1 ) wrote an article for Wallach's 

 70 th birthday, in which he sketched in short lines the merit of this scientist as far as 

 our special branch of science is concerned and in which he points out specially, 

 besides, Wallach's educational talent. He concluded it with the words: "If we con- 

 sider what an amount of self-denial is required for a great scientist, such as Wallach, 

 to sacrifice his time, as he is wont to do, with unvarying conscientiousness and 

 enthusiasm to young people, we understand what Wallach signifies to us. He belongs 

 to those who may be called educators of the nation and to whom we are indebted 

 for having become strong enough to hold out in the struggle". 



From other quarters too, homage has been paid to Wallach on his 70 th birthday: 

 A. Hesse 2 ) gives a short review of Wallach's career and the origin of his life-work, 

 the study of the chemistry of the terpenes and volatile oils. He mentions, e. g., a 

 passage out of Wallach's speech in which he thanks his pupils on the occasion of 

 the celebration on August 4 th , 1909. In this speech, he described in a few words the 

 genesis of his work: in a cupboard in Kekule's private laboratory, there had been kept 

 unopened, for sixteen years, some bottles of essential oils, which Kekule had ordered 

 occasionally for investigation, but without making any use 6f them. Wallach, as a 

 professor of pharmaceutical chemistry, had experienced already the lack of know- 

 ledge concerning the essential oils, which are so important for dispensing chemists. 

 Kekule gave the permission asked for to investigate the mysterious contents of the 

 bottles with an ironical smile, said to have been peculiar to him whenever he thought 

 anybody to be on the wrong track, and with the words: "If you think you can make 

 anything out of them!" 



We owe to Wallach, and to him alone, not only the successful scientific study 

 of the domain of the terpenes and essential oils — for the numerous investigations 

 of other scientists have become possible only through his work — but, besides, he 

 laid the foundation for the development of a whole branch of industry, with methods 

 formerly based on purely empirical experience, into an industry working on scientific 

 principles. , 



The perfume industry in France. — Even up to now, like fashion, French articles of 

 perfumery enjoy a renown, such as it has been impossible so far for any other producer 

 to acquire for his products. There are experts who ascribe to nothing else but a 

 prejudice of the public at large the repute of French perfumes and cosmetics. Accord- 

 ing to R. Loffl 3 ), this is not quite founded on fact. 



^Deutsche Parf.-Ztg. 3 (1917), 76. — 2 ) Zeitschr. f. angeiv. Chem. 30, I. (1917), 81. — 3 ) Seifensiederztg. 

 U (1917), 150, 173, 195. 



