CONCERNING ODOURS, 2-4 



Putridity however is a general term, applied, one 

 may say, to anything which is subject to decay 1 : for 

 anything which is decomposing lias an evil odour, 

 unless indeed the name putridity be extended to 

 sourness 2 in wine because the change in the wine is 

 analogous to decomposition. The evil odour of 

 putridity is found iri all things, alike in plants in 

 animals and in inanimate things : it attends the 

 decay of things which are not formed directly out of 

 a substance which is decaying : for some things have 

 also the odour of that substance, though it is not 

 found in every case. 3 Thus in many instances things 

 which are produced by decaying matter have no evil 

 odour : for instance, mushrooms which grow from 

 dung have none : but things which grow from decay 

 and are actually formed out of it have such an odour. 

 To speak generally then, things that have been 

 cooked, delicate things, and things which are least of 

 an earthy nature have a good odour, 4 (odour being a 

 matter of exhalation), and it is obvious that those of 

 an opposite character have an evil odour. But, even 

 as many things pleasant to the taste present a certain 

 bitterness, so many things that have a good odour 

 have a kind of heavy scent. 



Of natural odours; of those of animals and of the effect of 

 odours on animals. 



II. Every plant animal or inanimate thing that 

 has an odour has one peculiar to itself: but in many 



case exhalation is easier. The sense given to avairvori requires 

 illustration (the passages cited by LS. are not in point). Sch. , 

 construing apparently as W. does, ' since smell depends on 

 breathing' (? inhalation), admits that he does not see the 

 point of this clause. 



329 



