When I was 16, my first vacation to Europe surprised me. But at the end of the trip for a long time to stay with me rather than the Eiffel Tower, Buckingham Palace or canals of Venice, but ordinary aspects of life: the locals take for granted the things: road marking and the color of the logo, posters, a local snack food in the shop window, and the place of the sound and the smell of the most important.
When a person lays dying, one of the most common odors emitted is that of acetone (the very fruity smelling chemical that is used as nail polish remover). In some cases, however, that is combined with unpleasant odors resulting from the particular illness the person is dying from.
Once death has arrived, the body begins to decompose and a number of rather appropriately named chemicals emerge: cadaverine and putrescine are the first and, as their names suggest, they smell of rotting flesh and putrescence! Why do our bodies release these chemicals? Some believe that it is an evolutionary trait designed to be a warning beacon to others that danger is near. It is believed to spark off the flight or fight mechanism in humans.
Other chemicals are also released: hydrogen sulfide smells like rotten eggs; skatole smells like feces; Methanethiol smells like rotten cabbage; and dimethyl sulfide smells like garlic. A veritable cocktail of vile vapors. Would you be revolted to know that these are all used as food additives and are also used in many perfumes? A little stink adds a lot of beauty to an otherwise sterile combination of ingredients. In nature, these foul additives occur in flowers to attract insects—and similarly they attract us.
