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On the Nature of Man
Nemesius of Emesa, tr. Wither, 1636
Of the Smelling; of the instruments thereof; of the matter whereupon it layes hold; and…
Every one of those places which are seats of the senses (as wee have said before) takes hold of such things as are the proper objects of their senses, by meanes of a certaine likenesse and agreeablenesse which is betweene them and their sensible objects; and therefore the Smelling (though it be first begunne by the nostrils) is perfected at the bounds of the former-braine-pans, which having a naturall affinity with vapours, doe the more easily take hold of them.
And yet, whereas the braine in all other senses, sends downe sinewes into the seat of each sense to bee serviceable unto the sense therein placed; it so dealeth not with our sense of Smelling; for the bounds of the braine it selfe, are in stead of the sinewes, and the braine receives immediately such vapours, and fumes, as are yeelded up unto it. Of which vapours, the most generall difference is in this, that some of them have a good smell, some an evill sent, and some, that which is neither very good, nor very evill, but in a meane betwixt both.
The good smell ariseth from humours exactly concocted: The evill sent, is when they are ill concocted, or not at all; and the middle smell, is when they are concocted after a midling maner.