anomalies and curiosities of medicine-第95部分

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ion　is　sometimes　to　be　distinguished　by　an　odor　somewhat　similar　to　that　of　leather。　Old　age　produces　an　odor　similar　to　that　of　dry　leaves；　and　there　have　been　persons　who　declared　that　they　could　tell　approximately　the　age　of　individuals　by　the　sense　of　smell。

Certain　tribes　and　races　of　people　have　characteristic　odors。　Negroes　have　a　rank　ammoniacal　odor；　unmitigated　by　cleanliness；　according　to　Pruner…Bey　it　is　due　to　a　volatile　oil　set　free　by　the　sebaceous　follicles。　The　Esquimaux　and　Greenlanders　have　the　odors　of　their　greasy　and　oily　foods；　and　it　is　said　that　the　Cossacks；　who　live　much　with　their　horses；　and　who　are　principally　vegetarians；　will　leave　the　atmosphere　charged　with　odors　several　hours　after　their　passage　in　numbers　through　a　neighborhood。　The　lower　race　of　Chinamen　are　distinguished　by　a　peculiar　musty　odor；　which　may　be　noticed　in　the　laundry　shops　of　this　country。　Some　people；　such　as　the　low　grade　of　Indians；　have　odors；　not　distinctive；　and　solely　due　to　the　filth　of　their　persons。　Food　and　drink；　as　have　been　mentioned；　markedly　influence　the　odor　of　an　individual；　and　those　perpetually　addicted　to　a　special　diet　or　drink　have　a　particular　odor。

Odor　after　Coitus。Preismann　in　1877　makes　the　statement　that　for　six　hours　after　coitus　there　is　a　peculiar　odor　noticeable　in　the　breath；　owing　to　a　peculiar　secretion　of　the　buccal　glands。　He　says　that　this　odor　is　most　perceptible　in　men　of　about　thirty…five；　and　can　be　discerned　at　a　distance　of　from　four　to　six　feet。　He　also　adds　that　this　fact　would　be　of　great　medicolegal　value　in　the　early　arrest　of　those　charged　with　rape。　In　this　connection　the　analogy　of　the　breath　immediately　after　coitus　to　the　odor　of　chloroform　has　been　mentioned。　The　same　article　states　that　after　coitus　naturally　foul　breath　becomes　sweet。

The　emotions　are　said　to　have　a　decided　influence　on　the　odor　of　an　individual。　Gambrini；　quoted　by　Monin；　mentions　a　young　man；　unfortunate　in　love　and　violently　jealous；　whose　whole　body　exhaled　a　sickening；　pernicious；　and　fetid　odor。　Orteschi　met　a　young　lady　who；　without　any　possibility　of　fraud；　exhaled　the　strong　odor　of　vanilla　from　the　commissures　of　her　fingers。

Rayer　speaks　of　a　woman　under　his　care　at　the　Hopital　de　la　Charite　affected　with　chronic　peritonitis；　who　some　time　before　her　death　exhaled　a　very　decided　odor　of　musk。　The　smell　had　been　noticed　several　days；　but　was　thought　to　be　due　to　a　bag　of　musk　put　purposely　into　the　bed　to　overpower　other　bad　smells。　The　woman；　however；　gave　full　assurance　that　she　had　no　kind　of　perfume　about　her　and　that　her　clothes　had　been　frequently　changed。　The　odor　of　musk　in　this　case　was　very　perceptible　on　the　arms　and　other　portions　of　the　body；　but　did　not　become　more　powerful　by　friction。　After　continuing　for　about　eight　days　it　grew　fainter　and　nearly　vanished　before　the　patient's　death。　Speranza　relates　a　similar　case。

Complexion。Pare　states　that　persons　of　red　hair　and　freckled　complexion　have　a　noxious　exhalation；　the　odor　of　prussic　acid　is　said　to　come　from　dark　individuals；　while　blondes　exhale　a　secretion　resembling　musk。　Fat　persons　frequently　have　an　oleaginous　smell。

The　disorders　of　the　nervous　system　are　said　to　be　associated　with　peculiar　odors。　Fevre　says　the　odor　of　the　sweat　of　lunatics　resembles　that　of　yellow　deer　or　mice；　and　Knight　remarks　that　the　absence　of　this　symptom　would　enable　him　to　tell　whether　insanity　was　feigned　or　not。　Burrows　declares　that　in　the　absence　of　further　evidence　he　would　not　hesitate　to　pronounce　a　person　insane　if　he　could　perceive　certain　associate　odors。　Sir　William　Gull　and　others　are　credited　with　asserting　that　they　could　detect　syphilis　by　smell。　Weir　Mitchell　has　observed　that　in　lesions　of　nerves　the　corresponding　cutaneous　area　exhaled　the　odor　of　stagnant　water。　Hammond　refers　to　three　cases　under　his　notice　in　which　specific　odors　were　the　results　of　affections　of　the　nervous　system。　One　of　these　cases　was　a　young　woman　of　hysterical　tendencies　who　exhaled　the　odor　of　violets；　which　pervaded　her　apartments。　This　odor　was　given　off　the　left　half　of　the　chest　only　and　could　be　obtained　concentrated　by　collecting　the　perspiration　on　a　handkerchief；　heating　it　with　four　ounces　of　spirit；　and　distilling　the　remaining　mixture。　The　administration　of　the　salicylate　of　soda　modified　in　degree　this　violaceous　odor。　Hammond　also　speaks　of　a　young　lady　subject　to　chorea　whose　insensible　perspiration　had　an　odor　of　pineapples；　a　hypochondriac　gentleman　under　his　care　smelled　of　violets。　In　this　connection　he　mentions　a　young　woman　who；　when　suffering　from　intense　sick　headache；　exhaled　an　odor　resembling　that　of　Limburger　cheese。

Barbier　met　a　case　of　disordered　innervation　in　a　captain　of　infantry；　the　upper　half　of　whose　body　was　subject　to　such　offensive　perspiration　that　despite　all　treatment　he　had　to　finally　resign　his　commission。

In　lethargy　and　catalepsy　the　perspiration　very　often　has　a　cadaverous　odor；　which　has　probably　occasionally　led　to　a　mistaken　diagnosis　of　death。　Schaper　and　de　Meara　speak　of　persons　having　a　cadaveric　odor　during　their　entire　life。

Various　ingesta　readily　give　evidence　of　themselves　by　their　influence　upon　the　breath。　It　has　been　remarked　that　the　breath　of　individuals　who　have　recently　performed　a　prolonged　necropsy　smells　for　some　hours　of　the　odor　of　the　cadaver。　Such　things　as　copaiba；　cubebs；　sandalwood；　alcohol；　coffee；　etc。；　have　their　recognizable　fragrance。　There　is　an　instance　of　a　young　woman　taking　Fowler's　solution　who　had　periodic　offensive　axillary　sweats　that　ceased　when　the　medicine　was　discontinued。

Henry　of　Navarre　was　a　victim　of　bromidrosis；　proximity　to　him　was　insufferable　to　his　courtiers　and　mistresses；　who　said　that　his　odor　was　like　that　of　carrion。　Tallemant　says　that　when　his　wife；　Marie　de　Medicis；　approached　the　bridal　night　with　him　she　perfumed　her　apartments　and　her　person　with　the　essences　of　the　flowers　of　her　country　in　order　that　she　might　be　spared　the　disgusting　odor　of　her　spouse。　Some　persons　are　afflicted　with　an　excessive　perspiration　of　the　feet　which　often　takes　a　disgusting　odor。　The　inguinoscrotal　and　inguinovulvar　perspirations　have　an　aromatic　odor　like　that　of　the　genitals　of　either　sex。

During　menstruation；　hyperidrosis　of　the　axillae　diffuses　an　aromatic　odor　similar　to　that　of　acids　or　chloroform；　and　in　suppression　of　menses；　according　to　the　Ephemerides；　the　odor　is　as　of　hops。

Odors　of　Disease。The　various　diseases　have　their　own　peculiar　odors。　The　〃hospital　odor；〃　so　well　known；　is　essentially　variable　in　character　and　chiefly　due　to　an　aggregation　of　cutaneous　exhalations。　The　wards　containing　women　and　children　are　perfumed　with　butyric　acid；　while　those　containing　men　are　influenced　by　the　presence　of　alkalies　like　ammonia。

Gout；　icterus；　and　even　cholera　（Drasch　and　Porker）　have　their　own　odors。　Older　observers；　confirmed　by　Doppner；　say　that　all　the　plague…patients　at　Vetlianka　diffused　an　odor　of　honey。　In　diabetes　there　is　a　marked　odor　of　apples。　The　sweat　in　dysentery　unmistakably　bears　the　odor　of　the　dejecta。　Behier　calls　the　odor　of　typhoid　that　of　the　blood；　and　Berard　says　that　it　attracts　flies　even　before　death。　Typhus　has　a　mouse…like　odor；　and　the　following　diseases　have　at　different　times　been　described　as　having　peculiar　odors；measles；　the　smell　of　freshly　plucked　feathers；　scarlatina；　of　bread　hot　from　the　oven；　eczema　and　impetigo；　the　smell　of　mold；　and　rupia；　a　decidedly　offensive　odor。

The　hair　has　peculiar　odors；　differing　in　individuals。　The　hair　of　the　Chinese　is　known　to　have　the　odor　of　musk；　which　cannot　be　washed　away　by　the　strongest　of　chemicals。　Often　the　distinctive　odor　of　a　female　is　really　due　to　the　odor　of　great　masses　of　hair。　It　is　said　that　wig…makers　simply　by　the　sense　of　smell　can　tell　whether　hair　has　been　cut　from　the　living　head　or　from　combings；　as　hair　loses　its　odor　when　it　falls　out。　In　the　paroxysms　of　hysteroepilepsy　the　hair　sometimes　has　a　specific　odor　of　ozone。　Taenia　favosa　gives　to　the　scalp　an　odor　resembling　that　of　cat's　urine。

Sexual　Influence　of　Odors。In　this　connection　it　may　be　mentioned　that　there　is　a　peculiar　form　of　sexual　perversion；　called　by　Binet　〃fetichism；〃　in　which　the　subject　displays　a　perverted　taste　for　the　odors　of　handkerchiefs；　shoes；　underclothing；　and　other　articles　of　raiment　worn　by　the　opposite　sex。　Binet　maintains　that　these　articles　play　the　part　of　the　〃fetich〃　in　early　theology。　It　is　said　that　the　favors　given　by　the　ladies　to　the　knights　in　the　Middle　Ages　were　not　only　tokens　of　remembrance　and　appreciation；　but　sexual　excitants　as　well。　In　his　remarkable　〃Osphresiologie；〃　Cloquet　calls　attention　to　the　sexual　pleasure　excited　by　the　odors　of　flowers；　and　tells　how　Richelieu　excited　his　sexual　functions　by　living　in　an　atmosphere　loaded　with　these　perfumes。　In　the　Orient　the　harems　are　perfumed　with　intense　extracts　and　flowers；　in　accordance　with　the　strong　belief　in　the　aphrodisiac　effect　of　odors。

Krafft…Ebing　quotes　several　interesting　cases　in　which　the　connection　between　the　olfactory　and　sexual　functions　is　strikingly　verified。

〃The　case　of　Henry　III　shows　that　contact　with　a　person's　perspiration　may　be　the　exciting　cause　of　passionate　love。　At　the　betrothal　feast　of　the　King　of　Navarre　and　Margaret　of　Valois　he　accidentally　dried　his　face　with　a　garment　of　Maria　of　Cleves　which　was　moist　with　her　perspiration。　Although　she　was　the　bride　of　the　Prince　of　Conde；　Henry　immediately　conceived　such　a　passion　for　her　that　he　could　not　resist　it；　and；　as　history　shows；　made　her　very　unhappy。　An　analogous　instance　is　related　of　Henry　IV；　whose　passion　for　the　beautiful　Gabrielle　is　said　to　have　originated　at　the　instant　when；　at　a　ball；　he　wiped　his　brow　with　her　handkerchief。〃

Krafft…Ebing　also　says　that　〃one　learns　from　reading　the　work　of　Ploss　（'Das　Weib'）　that　attempts　to　attract　a　person　of　the　opposite　sex　by　means　of　the　perspiration　may　be　discerned　in　many　forms　in　popular　psychology。　In　reference　to　this　a　custom　is　remarkable　which　holds　among　the　natives　of　the　Philippine　Islands　when　they　become　engaged。　When　it　becomes　necessary　for　the　engaged　pair　to　separate　they　exchange　articles　of　wear