384 
EDITORIAL. 
The  art  of  Perfumery,  and  the  methods  of  obtaining  the  odors  of  plants ; 
with  instructions  for  the  manufacture  of  perfumes  for  the  handkerchief, 
scented  powders,  odorous  vinegars,  dentifrices,  pomatums,  cosmetics,  per- 
fumed  soaps,  &c.  To  which  is  added  an  appendix  on  preparing  artificial 
fruit  essences,  &c.  By  G.  W.  Septimus  Piesse.  Second  American,  from 
the  third  London  edition.    Philadelphia,  Lindsay  &  Blakiston,  1867. 
The  original  series  of  papers  contained  in  this  volume  were  reprinted 
in  this  journal  during  the  years  1854,  ;55  and  ;56.  The  first  American 
edition  was  noticed  on  page  383  of  the  volume  for  1856.  The  present 
edition  contains  about  one  hundred  pages  more  than  the  previous  one  ; 
this  enlargement  is  chiefly  made  up  by  collecting  the  information  on  the 
substances  used  in  perfumery,  scattered  through  different  works  and  jour- 
nals •  ottos  and  odorous  plants  omitted  in  the  former  edition  have  been 
added,  and  some  corrections  made.  Thus  we  find  notices  of  camphor,  cu- 
cumber, hodiosmia,  musk  seed,  myrrh,  narcissus,  peppermint,  pimento, 
rue,  &c.  The  bouquet  Iceland  wintergreen  is  now  stated  to  be  made  upon 
the  strength  of  the  name  of  Gaultheria  procumbens,  while  formerly  it  was 
credited  to  Trientalis  europcea.  Under  the  head  of  Laurel,  the  oil  of 
Cherry  laurel  is  noticed  ;  the  erroneous  statement  in  the  first  edition  that 
the  oil  of  the  fruit  of  Laurus  nobilis  possessed  an  odor  similar  to  bitter 
almonds,  has  been  omitted.  Recipes  for  some  new  perfumes  and  similar 
preparations  have  been  added,  and  a  few  old  ones  appear  under  a  new 
name  •  thus  the  Rife  Volunteers'  Garland  is  the  Windsor  Castle  Bouquet 
of  the  former  edition,  and  Piesse's  Posy  was  formerly  noticed  as  Bouquet 
Royal. 
The  work  is  handsomely  gotten  up  by  the  publishers,  and  we  commend 
it  to  the  notice  of  all  those  who  wish  to  obtain  a  glimpse  into  the  "secrets 
of  perfumery."  There  is  still  room  for  improvement  in  noticing  odorous 
plants  and  ottos,  and  in  omitting  recipes  for  perfumes  which  have  "  had 
their  day/'  and  introducing  others  now  in  fashion  ;  but  since  the  work 
was  evidently  written  less  for  the  purpose  of  giving  recipes,  but  rather  to 
impart  a  knowledge  of  how  combinations  of  odors  are  to  be  effected,  the 
discriminating  reader  will  find  much  to  repay  a  careful  perusal.  M: 
Scientific  Journal :  a  weekly  record  of  scientific  and  practical  information 
on  manufactures,  inventions,  mechanics,  the  arts,  &c.  $3.00  per  annum. 
Philadelphia,  411  Walnut  St. 
This  new  journal  will  be  "  devoted  to  the  interests  of  inventors,  manu- 
facturers and  patentees,"  and  will  "  contain  useful  information  upon  all 
subjects  connected  with  such  interests."  The  first  seven  numbers  now 
before  us  prove  that  the  editors  endeavor  to  faithfully  come  up  to  their 
promise.  The  Scientific  Journal  is  ably  edited,  well  printed,  and  pub- 
lished at  a  low  price.  If  it  continues  in  the  same  cosmopolitan  spirit,  we 
have  no  doubt  that  it  will  be  a  "  success."  M. 
