The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-07-13
A NEGLECTED SENSE.
Tie Ncso Is an Organ That Never Gets Fair
Play.

Tie Nose Is An Organ That Never Gets Fair
Play.
There are few persons who possess a
fnely-developed sense of smell, that
subtlest and least-cultivated of the ac-
ccptcd I've.
Occasionally there is one who is able
to make some simple analysis of COM
bined odOrs, while few can detect and
name q single oder when far too faint
for the average perception. More fire.
quent tests with the olfactometer, which
measures and records acutcness of smell
as the tests of an oculist determine Wis
ual acutencss, may serve to stimulate
the twentieth century to some cultiva-
ton OF this useful sense SO neglected
in the nineteenth.
The writer first profound conviction
regarding the desirability of a keen and
discriminative perception of odors was
reached one evening in theater in
Nashville, Tenn, in 1864. Our little
party OF young officers from the staff of
Gen. Grant sat with their wives and
handsome, boyish-locking surgeon.
Too much absorbed in the play to be
readily diverted, the writer paid slight
heed to the doctors inquiry:
do you perceive any unusual odor?"
But finally, observing his restless
ness, genuine attention was given to
the matter. but without the discovery
OF anything unusual: indeed, the VEN
tilation of the auditorium seemed bet
ter than was customary. Presently the
Surgeon made his way to the other side
of the hall. and nothing more was seen
Of him until the play was over, when,
in the main entrance on the way to the
street, there be stood smiling.
Il found it," he said.
''What was it," the writer asked.
"Jpst what thought, and one OF the
prettiest cases of smallpox, too, that l
ever saw"
WAS it opposite us? l noticed you
went that way"
''Nes, was the laughing rejoincr; Il
followed my nose"
Some years after this attention was
directed to d beautiful child, who
could pronounce unerringly upon the
ownership OF various belongings of per-
sons he knew by applying them 70 his
little nose. His perception Of the indi-
vidual human odor was SO acute that
the little fellow would frequently lift
aNbook from the table, and in the sim
plest manner possible mention who had
last been reading it.
He was about eight years of age at
this time, and was constantly tested
with gloves, collars, wells and ncckties.
Partly by reason of a series of stub
born colds and partly from the Gus
tomary apathy, the supernormal fine
ness of this child's sense of smell re-
ceived no pr oper cultivation. and it de-
clined eventually to something near
the general level.
Perhaps the well-known case OF
Julia Brace, of the Hartford asylum
for the blind, furnishes the most strik-
ing evidence of what may be accom-
plished by careful development of
the organs of smell. 1t has been au-
thoritatively stated that Julia Brace
made herself useful in the linen room
of the asylum in asserting the wear
ing apparel of the inmates, guided in
her selection of the garments. which
she placed in orderly piles. by her keen
olfactory sense alone. It seems al
most incredible that the process of
washing, scalding and ironing should
have still left in all the articles sufi-
cient personal odor to direct the blind
woman in her task.-N. Y. Recorder.