PERFUMES 33 
conservatory or boudoir need be wanting in delicate 
perfume if plenty of sweet-leaved plants are grown. 
PERFUMES, Various, HEALTHY, OR INJURIOUS 
Somebody has said that the whole world is divided 
into those people who like dogs and horses and those 
people who dislike horses or dogs. Well, it is somewhat 
similar in the case of perfumes. Some folks enjoy them, 
while others say that they dislike them; and to some 
few people, especially to vocalists, some particular 
perfumes are actually not only repellent but injurious. 
This is even true in the world of animals and insects, as 
we all well know. ‘Thus cats love Cat-mint, Valerian, 
and Nemophila. Dogs like Chenopodium vulvaria. 
Nearly all cattle love Fenugreek in their food or 
forage. The perfume of Lavender, Rosemary, Cloves, 
Cinnamon, or Camphor is most deterrent or offensive to 
moths; hence we constantly use them in our linen closets 
or drawers and wardrobes in which furs, etc., are stored. 
In the tropics I found that Camphor-wood chests were 
the only receptacles (other than close-fitting tin cases) 
that defied the ravages of the termites, or so-called 
white ants; and even the hungry mosquito may be kept 
at bay by torches composed of Dammer-gum and Camphor 
combined. So we see there are two sides to the shield— 
two sides to the perfume question mostly attractive, but 
sometimes deterrent or repellent to both mice and men. 
Nor need we wonder at this when we observe how 
widely dissimilar men really are. Socrates objected to 
perfumes, and that may have been the reason Xantippe 
objected tohim. Can you imagine William of Normandy 
or Oliver Cromwell or John Knox with scented hand- 
kerchiefs? Of course not. Nor can you imagine 
Charles II. or Elizabeth or Mary Queen of Scots without 
one. ‘The spice-box was a great institution on the hall 
c 
