It is, of course, possible
that in this case the rose may not have caused the disturbance,
and as it is distinctly stated that it was the smell to which the
Cardinal objected, we may fairly conclude that what annoyed him
was simply a manifestation of rose-fever excited by the pollen.
There is also an instance of a noble Venetian who was always
confined to his palace during the rose season. However, in this
connection Sir Kenelm Digby relates that so obnoxious was a rose
to Lady Heneage, that she blistered her cheek while accidentally
lying on one while she slept. Ledelius records the description of
a woman who fainted before a red rose, although she was
accustomed to wear white ones in her hair. Cremer describes a
Bishop who died of the smell of a rose from what might be called
"aromatic pain."
The organ of smell is in intimate relation with the brain and the
organs of taste and sight; and its action may thus disturb that
of the esophagus, the stomach, the diaphragm, the intestines, the
organs of generation, etc. Odorous substances have occasioned
syncope, stupor, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes death. It is
said that the Hindoos, and some classes who eat nothing but
vegetables, are intensely nauseated by the odors of European
tables, and for this reason they are incapable of serving as
dining-room servants.
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