Editing Musk (section)

{{Short description|Class of aromatic substances used in perfumes}}
{{About|the musk odor|the businessman|Elon Musk|other uses}}
[[File:Naturalists Library - Mammalia - Volume III - The Thibetian Musk.jpg|thumb|Musk deer of Tibet in an 1835 illustration]]
'''Musk''' is a class of aromatic substances commonly used as [[base note]]s in [[perfume]]ry. They include [[gland]]ular secretions from animals such as the [[musk deer]], numerous plants emitting similar fragrances, and artificial substances with similar [[odor]]s.<ref name=Merriam>{{cite web | url = http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/musk | title = Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary: ''musk'' | publisher = [[Merriam-Webster]] | access-date = 2007-04-07 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | first = Pierre |last = Chantraine | title = Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue grecque | publisher = Klincksieck |year= 1990 | page = 715 | isbn = 2-252-03277-4}}</ref> ''Musk'' was a name originally given to a substance with a strong odor obtained from a gland of the musk deer. The substance has been used as a popular perfume [[Fixative (perfumery)|fixative]] since ancient times and is one of the most expensive [[animal product]]s in the world. The name originates from the Late Greek μόσχος 'moskhos', from Persian ''mushk'' and [[Sanskrit]] मुष्क muṣka ({{literal|testicle}})<ref>{{OEtymD|musk}}</ref> derived from [[Proto-Indo-European]] noun ''múh₂s'' meaning "mouse".<ref name=Merriam/><ref>{{cite book | first = Pierre |last = Chantraine | title = Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue grecque | publisher =  Klincksieck |year= 1990 | page = 715 | isbn = 2-252-03277-4}}</ref> The deer gland was thought to resemble a [[scrotum]]. The term is applied to various plants and animals of similar smell (e.g., [[muskox]]) and has come to encompass a wide variety of aromatic substances with similar odors, despite their often differing [[chemical structure]]s and molecular shapes.

Natural musk was used extensively in [[perfumery]] until the late 19th century when economic and ethical motives led to the adoption of [[synthetic musk]], which is now used almost exclusively.<ref name=Rimkus>{{cite book | title = Synthetic Musk Fragrances in the Environment (Handbook of Environmental Chemistry) | first = Gerhard G. (Ed.)| last = Rimkus |author2=Cornelia Sommer | chapter = The Role of Musk and Musk Compounds in the Fragrance Industry |publisher = [[Springer Science+Business Media|Springer]] | year = 2004 | isbn = 3-540-43706-1 }}</ref> The [[organic compound]] primarily responsible for the characteristic odor of musk is [[muscone]]. There are several ways of preparing the commercial musk, and the best method is to dry the pod by sunning and airing immediately after it is taken from the animal. Natural musk is usually packed in hermetically-sealed vessels and wooden boxes lined with tin foil because of its powerful diffusion of odor.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Musk: Its Pharmacological Action and Therapeutic Uses |s2cid=39494684 |url=https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/9c90/f101ddaec25fc0575236d54eb0b4fcdee7a3.pdf}}</ref>

Modern use of natural musk pods occurs in [[traditional Chinese medicine]] which, save for specially exempt drugs, uses a synthetic version of undisclosed composition created in 1994. The process was given [[State Science and Technology Prizes|State Science and Technology Progress Award]] First Class in 2015.<ref>{{cite web |title=迟来的大奖 人工麝香终获国家科技进步一等奖--科技--人民网 |url=http://scitech.people.com.cn/n1/2016/0108/c1007-28030166.html |website=scitech.people.com.cn|language=zh|trans-title=Late grand award; artificial musk finally receives State Science and Technology Progress Award First Class}}</ref>