was said to be a very fast system. Superma originated by Sartory, was a machineless system that relied on the chemical reaction of the contents of a cotton pad, with water. Temperature control was rather more difficult but the method was popular in the United States perhaps because electricity was not used. Wella-Rapide was a German system that used croquignole heaters exclusively. A chandelier was not used and for safety worked at a reduced voltage. Frigidine was one of the few, apart from Icall, to use a timing mechanism and Bakelite heaters. Vapeur Marcel was a French machine based on the same principles as the MacDonald. The manner in which reagents worked when applied to the hair and heated, was not only due to the chemicals they contained, but also the effect of the water. Water not only played a part in "steaming" the hair, but there was better heat control, because while there was water, the temperature hardly passed 100 °C. However, this evaporated the water, and it was found that by wrapping the windings with aluminium foil, the hair stayed moist for longer, and also kept the windings upright, facilitating the addition of the heaters. A further advance was the use of so-called "sachets", a misnomer, because they were small absorbent pads containing certain chemicals, attached to foil or other waterproof material, such as vegetable parchment. The sachets were placed in water and then wound rapidly round the curlers. These were popular with hairdressers as a labour-saving device, and with manufacturers, as they were only used once and some 20 would be used for a head of hair. There were also changes in the equipment. Icall pioneered the use of plastics in hairdressing equipment, specifically a thermosetting plastic, (Bakelite) which was used not only because of its electrical properties in the windings of motors and heaters, but in the outer coverings of the heaters. They were less affected by corrosion and were less likely to burn the fingers of the hairdresser. Icall also used Bakelite for the outer casings of hand-held hair-dryers and also for the large linings of pedestal hair-dryers. It can be imagined that at a time when electrical installations were not to today's standards and at one time were not even grounded, the application of electrical windings to wet hair resulted in enough accidents to worry women. Icall developed what was called the "wireless" system,