Mechanical Co-Factors in Olfactory Stimulation

Abstract

The importance of mechanical stimulation of the olfactory epithelium as a co-factor in the odorous sensation, which had been previously demonstrated by us in animals, has been confirmed in the course of the present investigation on human subjects. It appears that mechanical stimulation makes odorous perception possible even for subliminal concentrations of the odorous substance in the mucus and that, on the contrary, in the absence of a mechanical stimulus, no odorous sensation arises however high the concentration may be.