§1## ΓΑΛΗΝΟΥ ΠΕΡΙ ΟΣΦΡΗΣΕΩΣ ΟΡΓΑΝΟΥ.
Ὄσφρησιν ὀνομάζουσιν οἱ Ἕλληνες οὐ μόνον τὴν διάγνωσιν τῶν ὀσμῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν δύναμιν, ἧς τοῦτο ἔργον ἐστίν· ὥσπερ γε καὶ τὴν γεῦσιν οὐ τὴν διάγνωσιν μόνον τῶν γευστῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν δύναμιν αὐτῶν·
## GALEN'S ON THE ORGAN OF SMELL. The Greeks call "smell" not only the discernment of odors, but also the capacity whose activity this is; just as indeed they call "taste" not only the discernment of tastable things, but also the capacity for them.
καὶ κατ’ ἄμφω δὲ τὰ σημαινόμενα τὸ τῆς ὀσφρήσεως ὄργανον ἓν ἂν εἶναι λέγοιτο, δι’ οὗ ποιεῖται τῶν ἰδίων αἰσθητῶν τὴν διάγνωσιν ἡ δύναμις, ἀνάλογον ὀφθαλμῷ καὶ γλώττῃ.
And according to both significations, the organ of smell would be said to be one, through which the capacity makes the discernment of its own sensible objects, analogous to the eye and the tongue.
δοκεῖ δὲ εἶναι τοῦτο κατὰ τὴν πρώτην ἐπιβολὴν τῆς διανοίας ἡ ῥίς.
And this organ seems, at the first application of the mind, to be the nose.
ἐν γοῦν τῷ διὰ τοῦ στόματος εἰσπνεῖν, στεγνώσαντες αὐτὴν ὁπωσοῦν, οὐδενὸς τῶν ὀσφρητῶν ἀντιλαμβανόμεθα, καθάπερ γε κᾀπειδὰν ἀνοίξαντες τοὺς μυκτῆρας εἰσπνέωμεν, εὐθέως αἰσθανόμεθα.
For instance, in breathing in through the mouth, if we block it in some way, we do not perceive any of the objects of smell, just as indeed when we breathe in after opening the nostrils, we immediately perceive them.
πότερον οὖν ὁ ὑπαλείφων ἔνδοθεν ἑκάτερον τῶν κατὰ τὴν ῥῖνα πόρων ὑμὴν ἢ χιτὼν (ἀμφοτέρως γὰρ ὀνομάζουσιν αὐτὸν) αἰσθάνεται τῶν ὀσφρητῶν, οὐ γὰρ δὴ τό γε ὀστοῦν αὐτὸ τῆς ῥινὸς ἤ τι τῶν ἔνδον τοῦδε τῶν ὀσμῶν ἐστιν ὄργανον, ἄξιον ἐπισκέψεως.
Whether, therefore, the membrane or coat (for they call it by both names) lining each of the passages in the nose from within perceives the objects of smell—for indeed neither the bone itself of the nose nor any of the things inside this bone is the organ of odors—is worthy of investigation.
ἂν γοῦν πληρώσῃς τοὺς πόρους εἴτ’ οὖν μύρων τῶν εὐωδῶν ἤ τινος ἄλλου σφοδρὰν ὀσμὴν ἔχοντος, οὐκ αἰσθήσῃ, πρὶν εἰσπνεῦσαι.
For instance, if you fill the passages either with fragrant ointments or with something else having a strong odor, you will not perceive it before breathing in.
διὸ καὶ δοκεῖ τισιν ἡ μὲν ῥὶς πόρος εἶναι τῶν ὀσφραντῶν, αὐτὸ δὲ τὸ τῶν ὀσμῶν αἰσθανόμενον σῶμα προσωτέρω που τετάχθαι.
Therefore, it also seems to some that the nose is a passage for the objects of smell, while the body itself that perceives odors is situated somewhere further in.
καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἀναγκαῖόν ἐστιν τὰ συνεχῆ τοῖς πόροις τῆς ῥινὸς ἐπίστασθαι σώματα πρὸς τῆς ἀνατομῆς διδαχθέντας· γιγνωσκόντων δ’ οὐ πάντων αὐτὰ, διηγήσασθαι βέλτιον, ὅπως κατεσκεύασται.
And for this reason, it is necessary to understand the bodies continuous with the passages of the nose, having been instructed by anatomy; and since not everyone knows them, it is better to describe how they are constructed.