Mikrokosmographia a description of the body of man. Together vvith the controuersies thereto belonging. Collected and translated out of all the best authors of anatomy, especially out of Gasper Bauhinus and Andreas Laurentius. By Helkiah Crooke Doctor of Physicke, physitian to His Maiestie, and his Highnesse professor in anatomy and chyrurgerie. Published by the Kings Maiesties especiall direction and warrant according to the first integrity, as it was originally written by the author.

QVEST. XLVI. Why Man doth not Smell so well as many other Creatures.

PLato in Timaeo, and Theophrastus in the sixth chapter of his sixth book de causis plantarum together with many other who haue written of this subiect, all of them, I say, with one consent doe acknowledge that the Sense of Smelling is more dull in men then in many other Creatures.

The same doth Aristotle auouch in the fourth chapter of his booke de sensu & sensili, where hee also addeth that of all the senses this Sense of Smelling in man is most sluggish and dull, which also he confirmeth in the 92. text of his 2. book de Anima.

The truth of this opinion is very euident by the example of other creatures as Dogges, * 1.1 Hogs, Crowes, Bees and other birds and beasts which are able a farre off to wind, as wee say, the sent of any thing. But man is constrayned to moue the obiect euen vnto the Nose and yet he is not able to discerne or perceiue any smels but those, that are so strong that they alter the Sense either into pleasure or paine. Add hereto, that many brute beastes doe know more by their smels then man can attaine to by all his senses, as the Hound that * 1.2 hunts vpon the cold foote of a Hare or a Deare, yea they can in the night follow a man, steps and worke out his way through a thousand difficulties and intanglements or permix∣tion of other Smels. So we see also that in the darke a Dogge will know his owne ma∣ster from a great many other men onely by his smell. A Tyger being robbed of her whelps will finde them out againe by her smell. Now none of these odours can the Sense of smelling in man apprehend.

The reason hereof, Aristotle in the place before quoted referreth vnto the fault, not of the faculty, but of the Organ. For this Organ is cold and very moyst, but the obiect hot and * 1.3 dry: now it is necessary that the Organ should potentially bee such as the subiect is actu∣ally. So that when sensation is made the obiect may worke vpon the instrument and con∣uert

it into his Nature. But in this Sense of Smelling such conuersion cannot be made without great difficulty, for that which is moyst doth hardly become dry, and by reason of this difficulty a man smelleth but remisly or dully, that is, not without either pleasure or paine. The reason is, because the Obiect must be very vehement before it can turne the moysture of the Organ into his owne Nature, that is, make it hot and dry.

Beside, this proper & natiue vnfitnesse of the Organ, there is also another ineptitude added, and that is the vicinity or neighbourhoode of the braine, which is in man much * 1.4 greater in respect of his magnitude then in other creatures. Seeing therefore the braine aboundeth with moisture, which moisture is also imparted vnto the Instrument of Smel∣ling; it commeth to passe that that Instrument by this coniunction of the braine becom∣meth more vnapt. Whence it is that the same Aristotle in the 33. Probleme of the tenth Section, hath obserued that the Instrument of Smelling is much incommodated by the moyst superfluities of the brame. The power therefore of Smelling being as it were steeped in this moisture groweth dull and sleepy, which in that which is hote and dry would bee awaked and shew it selfe; and therefore in bruite beasts whose braines are not either so moist, or at least yield not so much moisture because they are lesse, this Faculty or Sense is more pregnant and apprehensiue.

Some arguments are neuerthelesse made to the contrary, for thus they say: Where * 1.5 the forme is more excellent, there also the faculty is proportionably excellent. Now wee know that the forme of a man which is his Reasonable soule, is farre more excellent then the Sensatiue forme of a bruite beast, wherefore the faculties also of his forme are more perfect, and among the rest that of Smelling.

We answere, that albeit the Soule of a man is much more excellent and diuine then the Soule of a beast, yet so long as it is chained in the prison of this body of Earth, it * 1.6 cannot performe his functions but by the helpe of corporeall Organs, and therefore as the Temperature and conformation of the Organs is more or lesse conuenient, so are the functions more perfect or imperfect. Seeing therefore that the Organ of Smelling by which as by a hand the Soule reacheth odours vnto it selfe, is as we said in men somewhat to moyst, and therefore vnfit for the sodaine and quicke reception of odours: it followeth that by reason of this fault of the Instrument the faculty of the Sould is as it were abated or allayed that it cannot so perfectly and freely manifest it selfe.

It may be obiected againe, that because the Organ of a mans Smell is colde & moyst, hee should Smell the better not more dully, for that which is hote and dry as odours are, * 1.7 doth worke more powerfully vpon that which is the coldest and the moystest.

True it is, that the odour will worke better vpon the Organ, but as I said before, can∣not so easily conuert it into his owne Nature, for the qualities of the Organ are in a great * 1.8 degree contrary & repugnāt to the nature of the Obiect, but when sensation is made they must grow to be alike. Wherefore if the Organ be so disposed that there is not so great a difference betwixt it & the nature of his obiect, it cōmeth to passe that they consent bet∣ter together, and the Organ yeeldeth more easily toward the Nature of that which doth importune it: But we proceede vnto the Nature of an Odour.

Notes

• * 1.1

  What crea∣tures smell better then men.
• * 1.2

  Beasts smell many things that men can∣not.
• * 1.3

  The reason of it.
• * 1.4

  Other rea∣sons.
• * 1.5

  Obiection.
• * 1.6

  Solution.
• * 1.7

  Obiection.
• * 1.8

  Solution.