Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1905-02-03
MANS NASAL ORGAN.
Some Curious Facts and Instances
| About Senses of Taste and Smell.

About Senses of Taste and Smell.
Scientists and travellers tell us that
one of the first changes that occur in
man who lives an absolutely natural
life for a few months is an exraordi-
nary intensifcation Of the sense of
smell.
Describing his meeting with Mr..
Jackson in the wilds Of Franz Josef
Land, DR.. Nansen tells how he first
discovered his nearness to the English
explorer by the scent of fragment of
soap which the latter had used that
morning. His companion, Johansen,
noticed the scent also. GAS approach
ed Jackson's hut" says the great Swed-
ish explorer, 81 thought 1 could smell
everything it contained and give a;
sort Of inventory Of it's stores without
entering"
But even then the doctors sense Of
smell could not be compared with that
of the real savage. The Peruvian In
3, dians, walking at night in the darkness
Of the thick forests which line the low
er spurs of the Andes, can distinguish,
respectively, by the smell alone, be-
! tween white man, a negro or one Of
their own race
Few people realize how very closely
connected are the senses of taste and
smell. Many of the substances which
we say taste good are not tasted at all,
i but crafty us by their appeal to the
sense Of smell. All meats, and fruits,
for instance, are smelt rather than
tasted. This is easily proved by the
fact that bad. cold almost destroys
our appreciation of any of these classes
of foods or drinks. On the other hand,
however bad cold one may be afflict-
ed with, one does not lose ones taste
for sugar, salt or quinine. These sub
stances have no smell. but appeal
directly to the sense of taste.
If one of them be placed on the
tongue the sensation of sweetness, salt
iness or bitterness is at once expert
enced. 1t Is, however, worth noting
that all these substances must be dis
solved in water, or by the moisture of
the mouth, before they give any SEN
sation Of taste.
II you put a grain or two Of sugar
into your mouth and allow it to dis
solve slowly it's taste is only family
perceptible. If, on the contrary, you
rub the dissolving sugar into the palate
by moving the tongue the taste is
greatly intensified. Sugar appeals to
the mucous membrane of a large por-
ton of the mouth, as also does salt
This is why one smacks ones lips in
endeavoring to fully appreciate novel
taste.
Just as different parts of our brain
are the seats of various mental pow
ers, so various portions of the mouth
receive different kinds of tastes Sugar
and kindred substances. and also pure
ly acid foods or drinks appeal to the
tip of the tongue and the front part OF
the mouth.
Smell is far more delicate sense
than taste. As already mentioned, most
substances must be moistened before
appealing to taste. But in order tc
smell substance it must be in the
form of vapor. If eau de cologne be
poured into the nose it gives rise to nc
sense of odor whatsoever. Yet we al
know how powerful is the sensation OF
smell produced when the little parti
cles constantly disengaging themselves
from its surface are borne by the all
to the olfactory nerves. The Lose is
fitted to perceive sensations from par
ticles of almost inconceivable small
ness.
A single grain of musk will scent 6
room for years, and as this result car
only be produced by continual loss OF
particles Of it's substances these par
tcles must be tiny beyond the reacf
of Imagination.
, The smelling region of the nose lie.
in its upper part. The nose has three
regions, and it is in the third that thu
seat of the sense is concentrated Tht
mucous membrane of the nose at thi.
point is much thicker than below an(
? is not red, but colored with brown
pigment.
Men are possessed of more acute
powers of smell than women. Expert
ments to prove this were made by
Profs. Nichols and Browne. Three o.
the men could detect prussic acid il
a solution composed of 100000 part:
of water and one of acid, but not ont
Of the women could detect the seen
of the prussic acid when the solution
was weaker than the one part in 20,OO(
, of wafer