 many consumptive
patients, who came to drink the water. The Doctor overhearing this remark, made
up to him, and assured him he was mistaken. He said, people in general were so
misled by vulgar prejudices, that philosophy was hardly sufficient to undeceive
them. Then humming thrice, he assumed a most ridiculous solemnity of aspect, and
entered into a learned investigation of the nature of stink. He observed, that
stink, or stench, meant no more than a strong impression on the olfactory
nerves; and might be applied to substances of the most opposite qualities; that
in the Dutch language, stinken signified the most agreeable perfume, as well as
the most fetid odour, as appears in Van Vloudel's translation of Horace, in that
beautiful ode, Quis multa gracilis, etc. - The words liquidis perfusus odoribus,
he translates van civet &amp; moschata gestinken: that individuals differed toto
cælo in their opinion of smells, which, indeed, was altogether as arbitrary as
the opinion of beauty; that the French were pleased with the putrid effluvia of
animal food; and so were the Hottentots in Africa, and the Savages in Greenland;
and that the Negroes on the coast of Senegal would not touch fish till it was
rotten; strong presumptions in favour of what is generally called stink, as
those nations are in a state of nature, undebauched by luxury, unseduced by whim
and caprice: that he had reason to believe the stercoraceous flavour, condemned
by prejudice as a stink, was, in fact, most agreeable to the organs of smelling;
for, that every person who pretended to nauseate the smell of another's
excretions, snuffed up his own with particular complacency; for the truth of
which he appealed to all the ladies and gentlemen then present: he said, the
inhabitants of Madrid and Edinburgh found particular satisfaction in breathing
their own atmosphere, which was always impregnated with stercoraceous effluvia:
that the learned Dr. B-, in his treatise on the Four Digestions, explains in
what manner the volatile effluvia from the intestines, stimulate and promote the
operations of the animal oeconomy: he affirmed, the last Grand Duke of Tuscany,
of the Medicis family, who refined upon sensuality with the spirit of a
philosopher, was so delighted with that odour, that he caused the essence of
ordure to be extracted, and used it as the most delicious perfume: that he
himself, (the doctor) when he happened to be low-spirited, or fatigued with
business, found immediate relief and uncommon satisfaction from hanging over the
stale contents of a close-stool, while his servant stirred
