An atomizer is any device or receptacle that is capable of holding liquid and dispensing it in a fine mist. In the early 1900s, atomizers began to be used to hold perfume. By the time of World War I, many G.I.'s who were returning home from France through Paris picked up perfumes in atomizer bottles for their sweethearts and wives back home. There are several components in an atomizer. The first is a bottle containing the substance to be turned into a spray. A tube is designed to fit into the bottle and connect to a nozzle. When someone wants to use the device, they can squeeze a bulb or depress the top of the nozzle to create a flow of air across the nozzle, which pulls the liquid up the tube and through the tip. As the liquid passes through the nozzle, a screen causes it to disperse in a fine spray. These devices are used to dispense something in small, controlled amounts.