A philosophical and medical sketch of the natural history of the human body and mind ; to which is subjoined, an essay On the difficulties of attaining medical knowledge, intended for the information and amusement of those who are, or are not, of the medical profession : published for the benefit of the General Hospital at Bath / by James Makittrick Adair, M. D. member of the Royal Medical Society, and fellow of the College of Physicians, at Edinburgh.

  • Adair, James Makittrick, 1728-1802.
Date:
1787
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A philosophical and medical sketch of the natural history of the human body and mind ; to which is subjoined, an essay On the difficulties of attaining medical knowledge, intended for the information and amusement of those who are, or are not, of the medical profession : published for the benefit of the General Hospital at Bath / by James Makittrick Adair, M. D. member of the Royal Medical Society, and fellow of the College of Physicians, at Edinburgh. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by University of Bristol Library. The original may be consulted at University of Bristol Library.

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    the peculiar fniell of his perfpiration; and after the battle of Pharfalia, the vultures were allured from a great diftance by the putrid effluvia of the dead bodies. The effluvia of purging medicines fometimes purge; and ftrong odours have been fatal, by difcharging a great quantity of phlogifticated air: hence the danger of keeping flowers and fruits in clofe rooms. We know that certain effluvia are ftimulating to a confiderable degree; hence the ufe of volatile falts in faintings. Effluvia may in fome cafes be nutritive. Democritiis is faid to have kept his fifter alive three days by the fmell of new bread. From fome peculiarity in the ftate of the olfaftory neives, or from habit, fome per- fons, and even nations, are gratified by par- ticular flavours, which are generally difguft- ing. The inhabitants of Greenland are fond of train oil, and the moil rancid fat: the- mofl putrid meats are not offenfive to par- ticular perfons: the ancient Romans held the gaf'ujn, prepared of the putrid livers of fifhes, to be an extraordinary delicacy. Brutes fele6l their foods rather by the fmell than the tafle, and yet they are fome- times deceived by this teft, §. 19. The