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Utility of Perfumes

About This Item

  • Title: Utility of Perfumes
  • Date: 10 February 1858
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
  • Whitman Archive ID: per.00760
  • Source: Brooklyn Daily Times, 10 February 1858: 2. Our transcription is based on a digital image of a microfilm scan of the original issue. Microfilm of original issue held at Pennsylvania State University Libraries. For a description of the editorial rationale behind our treatment of the journalism, see our statement of editorial policy.
  • Editorial note: This piece is unsigned, as was the case for most of Whitman's journalism. However, this editorial is part of a series of texts that deal with a coherent theme that has been identified by the Whitman Archive journalism team as likely authored by Whitman. This decision is based on a combination of historical and (auto)biographical accounts, similarity to contemporary Whitman writings, a history of scholarly attribution, extant clippings retained by Whitman, computational stylometric analysis, and, in some cases, manuscript evidence in Whitman’s hand.
  • Contributors to digital file: Hannah Purtymun Kaylen Michaelis Brandi Faulkner Stefan Schöberlein Karie Cobb
  • Cite this page: Whitman, Walt. "Utility of Perfumes." The Walt Whitman Archive. Gen. ed. Matt Cohen, Ed Folsom, & Kenneth M. Price. Accessed 16 July 2024. <http://www.whitmanarchive.org>.
  • Source File: per.00760.xml (TEI)
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UTILITY OF PERFUMES.—

The odors which we dislike are something overpowered by others more agreeable, but they are neither removed nor destroyed; and invalids continue to inhale them in spite of their injurious effects. The best means of removing a bad odor from a room is by proper ventilation. A fire in the grate, and the door left ajar, or the window open at top and bottom about an inch, will quickly change the atmosphere in the apartment; the vitiated air will flow up the flue, while fresh air will come in at the various openings. There are cases, however, where "the doctor" and "the nurse" positively prohibit this fresh air; for they consider "a draught" as certain death to the patient. It is on such occasions that the proper use of fragrant substances is beneficial, not only because they hide the bad odor, but act as a prophylactic in the atmosphere. The odorous substance of flowers is antiseptic in a high degree, and being diffused in an atmosphere charged with malarious gases, destroys their poisonous effects. Fresh air, however, is the best physic for an invalid.1

Notes:

1. Jonathan Trumbull (1710–1785) was an American politician and statesman. He served as governor of Connecticut during the American Revolution. [back]

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