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THE SENSE ORGANS AND THE SENSES
69
In the eighteenth century, in Europe, an odour system was devised. Henning has given a scheme of odour prism which is shown in Table V.
The Crocker Henderson system posits four fundamental odours, like fragrant, acid, burnt, and caprylic. All these classifications are partly based on experimental investigation and partly on rational insight. But there are difficulties in the grouping of odours, because, as Woodworth points out, in the analysis of Henning's classification some odour qualities are not purely odour. They are mixed up with taste qualities. Zwaardemaker classified the smell qualities as ethereal (as in
TABLE V Henning's Smell Prism
FOWL
FLOWRRY
FRUITY
BURNT
SPICY
EESINOUS
fruit), aromatic (as in spice), fragrant (as in flowers), ambrosial (as in musk), alliaceous (as in onion), ampyreumatic (as in tar), hircine (as in cheese), repulsive (as in laudanum), and nauseous (as in decaying flesh).42 This is a very elaborate, even clumsy, classification. It does not mention the primary sense qualities alone. The Jainas gave an analysis of the odour qualities, and in fact of all sense qualities, on the basis of rational insight. They thought it safer to analyse the smell sense qualities into two major categories, as good and bad. 42 Geldard (F.A.): The Human Senses, p. 315.
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