OUR SENSE OF SMELL—IS THE SUPER-SENSE ACCORDING TO DOCTOR RUTH WINTER

Most think that our minds and our sight are the two most important senses we have. But science has long known that the nose on our face is far superior. The ancients knew that their survival was placed in knowing that the next thing they put in their mouth smelled right. Putrid meat for instance could kill them. Or plants that did not smell right could make them sick. So in our evolving we smelled our way to continuing life.

We also survived as a species because we knew the smells and thus the sex attractions of our own. It is also said that a mother can tell the difference between her own offspring and another. There is another element to our sense of smell as well and that is memory. We remember those scents that are pleasant; for instance pumpkin pie, or a spring meadow, or fresh laundered clothes. We also have this same imprint for things that are not good for us, like certain medicines or other things we don’t like. This has again meant survival for us. This long-term memory facility can be with us for as long as we are breathing.

Ruth Winter is a science writer of some note and has written widely on the effect of our senses and our survival. In the early days doctors were able to diagnose illnesses just by smelling a patient’s breath. For instance, yellow fever smelled like a butcher shop. Scurvy, small pox and typhoid fever had the odor of fresh-made bread, measles, the odor of freshly plucked feathers. The number of clues were endless. Today few doctors know of them or remember them..

Winter’s book, originally written in the 70’s is a wealth of information, about what is maybe the king and most important of our sense, is delightful but so informative that it should be required reading for every first year medical student. We all should look closer at that protuberance in the middle of our face.