Between Sniff and Scent: Deciphering the Sense of Smell

A review of two new books: "Sniff: A History of Smells" by William Tullett and "Smell: The Tale of a Fading Sense" by Björn Berge. Both authors argue that modern life has weakened our ability to interpret smells, but not the sense itself. The article covers historical examples, including identifying the enemy in the Vietnam War by smell, and bees trained to detect explosives.

A review of two new books about the sense of smell: "Sniff: A History of Smells" by William Tullett and "Smell: The Tale of a Fading Sense" by Björn Berge. Both authors argue that modern life has weakened our ability to interpret smells, but not the sense of smell itself. Tullett, a history lecturer at the University of York, traces specific smells across periods and places, describing medieval libraries in Paris that were said to be "more fragrant than spice shops," and 20th-century paper mills that polluted the Androscoggin River in Maine to the point of causing vomiting. Berge, a Norwegian architect, focuses on the social and erotic uses of smell, recounting how Napoleon asked Josephine not to bathe before his return from the battlefield. The article notes that in the Vietnam War, Viet Cong fighters identified American soldiers by the smell of their soap and aftershave, while Americans identified the enemy by the smell of Vietnamese fish sauce (nuoc mam). Tullett offers an example of bees trained to detect buried explosives. Neither book calls for a return to the past, but rather for renewed attention to the olfactory environment surrounding us.

Between Sniff and Scent: Deciphering the Sense of Smell