The times., 1898-10-17
7HE SENSE OF SMELL
Science Has Not Treated 1t
Very Thoroughly.
THE KEEN SCENT OF DOGS
1t Is Impossiblc for Mnn to Conceive
of the High Development of This
mnls-A Keen Sense of Smell n
Doubtful Gain for Human Beings.

Some time ago the writers who try to
popularize science told US the sense of
smell In man was likely TO disappear in
time. 1t seems. however, that science
itself has not paid enough attention to
the subject. In long article the Lon
don Times says:
The subject of smells in general, and of
the sense of smell in particular, has not.
it appears, as yet received adequate sci
entific treatment. According 10 Prof. Ayr
ton, the president OF the section of mathe-
matical and physical science at the Brit
ish Association, this branch of physics
has hitherto been much neglected, and
he has commenced an interesting series
of experiments upon the smell given out
by different kinds of metal under various
chemical tests, as well as upon the veloc-
ity and diffusion of smells, from which he
looks for important results
This region Of physics is, he tells us,
vast territory waiting to be explored.
That 1t Will be found to contain mines of
theoretical wealth there can be no doubt,
while it is probable that luxuriant
growth of technical application would
spring up later on The detection of in
ferior glass by lady through the repug-
nance that she shows az drinking water
out of certain cheap tumblers is instanced
as kind OF first fruit of this luxuriant
growth of technical application. and If 1t
were possible to conceive that a grave
and learned professor would trihe with
such body as the British Association we
might almost suppose from this and GER
tain other semi-humorous passages in
Prof. Ayrton's address that II was as
Artemus Ward says. writ sarcastic This
however, is inconceivable and we r1ilst
suppose that science intends to take ND
In good earnest the subject OF smells
and our own powers of detecting them.
We may hope that in so doing it will keep
in view the greatest happiness of the
gratest number, and will enter upon its
researches with the benefcent purpose of
diminishing the ills that we al more or
less suffer from noxious smells. This
would be not only luxuriant but a high
ly beneficial growth of technical appplica-
tion.
ut is certainly noteworthy that of the
three senses by which men are able II de-
tect the presence of things at distancs-
seeing, hearing and smelling-the two
former should be so much more high Y
cultivated in practice and so much mo, q
which to many animals is the most i'm
portant of the three. The dog, as we all
know, recognizes friends and enemies
and distinguishes between those human
beings with whom he comes into contact.
very largely by his sense of smell The
keen scent of hounds-the odora canum
vis-is keener than we, with our limited
exercise of the faculty of smell. can
easily conceive: and few OF US would be
! flattered If we could realize how strongly
| we smell to the nose of our four-footed
I companion.
Most animals, indeed. have this sense
more strongly developed than man. The
! horse that SHES at a menagarie proc s
| sion is frightened as much by the smell
| as by the strange appearance OF camels
| or elephants. The stag. as many patient
deer stalker finds to his cost after a long
and wearisome stalk, will scent the enc
| my whom he cannot see; and the same is
! true in varying degrees of most amin Ills
| in a state of nature. The sense of smell
| is useful to them for protection. for pro-
! curing food, and for other purposes OF
| life. To man it is not, or has not hitherto
| been, so useful as the senses of sight and
| hearing, and therefore II has been much
less highly developed 1t would be inter.
! esting to know, if experiment In that di.
rection has ever been made. whether it is
ever more highly developed in man as
compensation for the loss of other sens 8
Blind men have sometimes exceptionally
acute hearing. or very sensitive touch
Do those who are blined and deaf Fave
any keener sense of smell in co1se
qucnce? 1t depends, no doubt, upon the
extent to which the sense of smell is use.
full in comparison with, or in default of
| other senses
ITO most of us, perhaps. il would be z
very doubtful gain to have a keenel
sense of smell. Bad smells as n rule ar,
| more numerous and more potent thar
good smells, and few persons would b,
happier if they could detect NOR, o
them. Prof. Ayrton tells US that metals
for example. have very little smell o
their own. but acquire smells b. bein,
handled, and that the smell is due to tn,
action of perspiration. 1t is to be hoped
| that his researches will not render NOR,
apparent, or easier for our noses to dc
tect the various smells that coins ms
acquire in their passage through man!
human hands. not always clean. or thei
sojourn in many unsavory pockets. Here
as in regard to many other smells whic!
a dog can no doubt detect while We ar,
unaware of them, where ignorance l.
| bliss tits folly to be wise. Not even tn,
power of detecting inferior glass woul,
compensate for SO undesirable an acqui
sition to our knowledge.
ITO unscientific and irreverent minGs j.
sometimes appears that science has hith
erto been largely concerned in maxim,
smells, and some of them very disagree
able ones. When the colors of the labo-a
tory are diffused on a larger scale owe
whole neighborhood by soap or alkal
works or other chemical trades we do no
feel grateful to science: nor will she con
sole our offended nostrils by researches
however interesting. into the velocity O
the distribution of smells. Such odor
travel quite fast enough and are suffi
ciently diffused to make us wish to know
no more about them, except how the.
! may be prevented. If Prof. Ayrton vii
hold out this prospect as part of 'th
luxuriant growth of technical application