The Senses as Affected by Sex.
If the senses avc taken seriatim it will be evident that they are not parallel in men and women. The latter possess, in a much greater degree, the perfection of the sense of touch ; those occupations that require extieme delicacy of manipulation, such as ace-making 1 , cmbioidery, bead strinking, etc., are therefore usually followed by women. As regards the sense of hearing, we are not aware of any experiments or observations on the relative perfection of the sense in the two sexes ; and the same may be stated as regauls the sense of sight, which appears to bo equally acute in women and in men. In the extreme delicacy of ta&tc it is probable that men excel. Whether they do so natiually, or in consequence of the cultivation oi palates, is perhaps a mooted question j but. that they excel not only as gourmands, but also as gourmets, may be accepted as' an established fact, and the accurate perception of the delicate shades of difference distinguishing different brands and vintages of wine is much more frequently found in men than in women. As regards the sense of &mell, some exceedingly conclusive experiments have been made by some Ameiican savants which appear to subvert our preconceived opinions. The experiments were performed with prussic acid and other strongly odorous substances on fortyfour males and thirty-eight females^ and it was found that in nearly all cases the sense of smell was about doubly as acute in men as in women. Tho cause Gl the difference in this matter between men and women is quite unknown, as is the object of the distinction ; but it has one practical bearing that may be borne in mind. The employment of strong and potent perfumes by women may depend on their less acute seuse of smell, and they would do well to bear in mind the fact that odours and perfumes which may be quite pleasant to them may be almost over} lowering and decidedly unpleasant to individuals of the other sex.
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TAN18870528.2.41
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 205, 28 May 1887, Page 5 (Supplement)
Word count
Tapeke kupu
341The Senses as Affected by Sex. Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 205, 28 May 1887, Page 5 (Supplement)
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
No known copyright (New Zealand)
To the best of the National Library of New Zealand’s knowledge, under New Zealand law, there is no copyright in this item in New Zealand.
You can copy this item, share it, and post it on a blog or website. It can be modified, remixed and built upon. It can be used commercially. If reproducing this item, it is helpful to include the source.
For further information please refer to the Copyright guide.