Des odeurs au service du médecin ? Recherches galéniques sur la perception olfactive

Abstract

For Galen olfaction is one of the sensory perceptions that raises a good many problems. In fact, this sense is somewhat different from the others because it is the only one to be linked to breath which is a vital function. The anatomical observations made by the Pergamon doctor, however precise they are, are not sufficient to answer important questions, in particular the exact localization of the identification of the smells. To answer this question, Galen provides precise evidences, especially because he wants to show that Aristotle’s hypothesis is not acceptable. It is by the way of experiment that he demonstrates that the identification of smells occurs actually in the brain. The details and the variety of the experiments described in the treaty De instrumento odoratus contain rich information on Galen’s methods and his abilities to observe what he has at hand.

Keywords

• sense
• sense of smell
• Galen
• Aristotle
• Plato
• experiment smell