The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1907-04-06
EARLY TIMES KISS
SNIFF AND LICK
Says Professor Hopkins of
Yale University
This Was Cow and Calf Period of
Osculatory Development, Ac-
cording To This Savskt.
STILL IN VOGUE IN ORIENT

H Philadelphia, Pa, April c. That
in early times the kiss was really a
sniff and lick was the novel state
ment made by Prof. Hopkins of Yale
university today before the American
Oriental society now in session in
this city.
The title of this iconoclastic- to
springtime lovers, at least-address
was "The Sniff Kiss" and proved to
be an inutsrcmfwy shrdlu wfmbyp
be an instructive disquisition on the
progress of oscu.ation in ancient In
dia, from the time when the affec-
tionate sniff at the beloved object-of
the caressing lick sufficed to express
affection. down to the later period.
when nothing but a full blown kiss
would serve the turn of friends or
lovers. Prof. Hopkins quoted copious
citations from Vedas and from later
amatory, Sanscrit literature to prove
the evolution of the kiss.
Sniff Kiss Still in Vogue.
Ejaculation proper said Prof.
Hopkins. "was preceded by sniff
and lick stage. although after kiss
es became common the shifts grew
correspondingly rare" He pointed
out. however, That in certain tribes
along the northeastern frontier of
India the old sniff kiss was still in
vogue. There was apparently a state
of society in ancient India" said
Prof. Hopkins, Sin which kissing in
the modern way was unknown. In
the old Vedas we nave no word cor
responding to our kiss. Words for a
corresponding display of affection
mean, various.y, touch, smell, sniff
as COW does a calf. The fond father
is enjoined on returning from Jour
ney TO sniff affectionately three times
at the head of his child. In the late
lVedas men have learned to kiss. Low
ers are instructed to put mouth to
mouth. In the books treating of love-
making from a scientific standpoint
we hear nothing about smiling"
Cow and Calf Point Way.
Prof. Hopkins also referred to the
lick kiss as another form of caress
seemingly founded upon observation
of the practices of animals. He IL
Illustrated with many learned philo-
logical observations from Sanskrlt,
Greek, and Latin ancient lore of kiss
ing, declaring that he hoped mis- pa
per might serve as a contribution to
the history of that interesting sub
ject. He secuted the theory that the
kiss proper might have been known
among tn ancient Hindoos, but ne
elected for the smiling and licking
process. declares that there was no
probability that any people once
knowing the joys of OSCILLATION would
put up with any inferior substitute.
Kissing" said Prof. Hopkins, is
frequently mentioned in later vedas,
where words used leave no doubt
that it refers to OSCILLATION of ac-
Icepted kind. kissing is mentioned as
Frequently as biting and scratching.
The sniff and lick stage is over, and
in later classical literature there is
plenty of kissing and little smiling.
Although the superior advantage
of kiss as a means of expressing
ardent affection mas caused it to en-
ltirely supplant the COW and calf
method of an earlier time among the
populations of ancient India, more
primitive methods still survive not
only in parts Of India, but among
the various tribes Of Africa.
Great Stun For PhiIoIogists.
"The sniff and lick style of oscula-
ton seems to have grown into disfa-
vor as society emerged from it's pa
Itriarchial stage as a means of ex-
pressing affection between the sexes.
Old sniff-kiss was peculiarly the do
mestic kiss Of father and child. Low
ers found 1t precise and formal and
promptly abandoned it, RELOCATING
the snift to the placid family rela-
tions and employing the more sat-
isfactory contact Of mouth to mouth
as more suitable vehicle of their
affectionate ardor.
'"fhe kiss. once made the vehicle
of affections between the sexes, has
never lost the favor which it attained,
and the snifr was relegated to barba-
rous tribes and African savages and