Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-10-13
KISSING and Sense of Smell.

pal ways of kissing used i'll the world
besides the pressing of lips, a method
used ny Europeans and Americans. In
many parts of the world the primitive
rubbing of noses and smiling are the
only Kinds known.
These two ways have done much te
develop the sense of smell. while, ae
cordng 70 scientists. the civilized way
of showing effection and sympathy is
gradually destroying our sense of
smell. This is the opinion of Pref
Lancaster. Edmund Sanford and 9TH
ers. According to Prof. Lancaster.
chef fifth of the volume of the brain of
most fish is given up to the lobes which
are the conductors of smell. Even in
mammals the size of the olfactory
nerves is large. The sense of smell in
human beings is feebly developed com
pared with many of the lower MAN.
nla!s.
Animals are classified with reference
to this sense MS micf6smatic and ma
erosmatic. Man belongs to the micros-
matic group; with the macrosmatic
group the sense of smell is potent III
getting knowledge of the outer world.
stu the good size olfactory lobes and
nerves which men have prove that
their sense Of smell was once keener,
and played a more important role than
il does today. This is still true with
some Of the Indian tribes. as we'll as
Of the Australians, Fuegians, etc.
Under the influence of smell it is
probable the development Of the cere-
hral aemispheres began. Time was
q he the N a. mind
according TO the opinion OF these men.
9nd the sense of smell was the most
highly developed to the senses II
seems to have had this leadership un-
I'll man raised himself from Il hall
upright position and commenced to
walk erect. In those days when men
had the power to recognize people ut
great distances by seeming then
tracks. kissing by the touching of lips
was unknown, for the mouth saluta-
ton had its origin in taste and the
sense Of smell
A careful study of the mammals
that have strong sense of smell and
taste proves this fact. The dog
shows his joy at his masters presence
by licking his masters hands because
he loves that peculiar taste and smell.
the COW licks her calf by the tongue
and nose because it enjoys the pecu
liar taste and smell. These instances
prove beyond a doubt that kissing
originated as an enjoyment of taste
and odor, and only in recent times has
it developed into a symbol of graft
tude, admiration and compassion.
The primitive kind of kissing is
practiced by the Eskimo and the peo-
pie of Terra del Fuego. The Firms
smack each other on the arms. An
other method of salutation is to blow
in each others hands. More curious
is the custom of rubbing the right
ear and to put out the tongue. In
many places they salute by rubbing
noses. The Malay kiss consists in
rubbing one nose against another.
This form of greeting is common
among the Folynesians, Malays and
Eskimos.
The Malay woman squats on the
ground, and the person who wishes to
give the salutation leans over her and
lays the bridge of his nose on hers
and commences rubbing. 1t lasts
about as long as does hearty hand
shake. During the performance they
utter a grunt of satisfaction. a
French savant, Gaidoz, says the eats
kiss this way."I myself once had
cat" he says, (which always tried to
squeeze it's nose against mine as
mark of affection" A sheep beats
after her kind and feels joy. She
shifts after several lambs that are
passing and at last recognizes her
own by a sense of smell. and rubs II
with her nose to express her sense OF
delight.
Many of the Mongols pet their chill
dren by smelling their heads instead
of kissing them In the Philippine
Islands the sense of smell is so de-
yeloped that many of the people by
merely shifting q handkerchief can de-
feet its owner. Lovers when separat-
ed often give each other handker-
chiefs, and in their absence they Keep
each other in mind by inhaling the
scent. Certain races still salute each
other by smelling. They apply the
nose and mouth to persons cheeh'
and in this way draw long preath'
They do not say Give me kiss, put
Let me smell YOU"
This custom shows what arse
role the sense of smell played among
peoples. In savagery man used inns
sense for tracking animals, enemies
and friends. He showed his aheetioh
not by shaking hands or by klsslns'
but by smelling. 1t was only AFTER
his body took an upright position that
he lost the power of tracking people
by the sense of smell, and that he had
once Expressed his emotions IN the
same way.
As result of these new CONDITIONS
mon and women are fast losing TINS
sense. There are men and women VINO
are perfectly devoid of the sense, ana
some domesticated cats ana dogs are
also without it, They suffer little IN
convenience through it, except the de-
light which comes from are aroma
of welI-cooked food and the perfume
of the flowers, but they are saved
from the unpleasant odors. that come
from dirt and dust
Prof Lancaster says that the piao-
tice of rubbing noses or some o,her
part of the body is primarily an I'M
pulse of smell and secondly an eN
preston of endearment. When man
II IL VNCr