Historical Continuity or Different Sensory Worlds? What we Can Learn about the Sensory Characteristics of Early Modern Pharmaceuticals by Taking Them to a Trained Sensory Panel
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Historical Continuity or Different Sensory Worlds? What we Can Learn about the Sensory Characteristics of Early Modern Pharmaceuticals by Taking Them to a Trained Sensory Panel. / Ahnfelt, Nils-Otto; Fors, Hjalmar; Wendin, Karin.
I: Berichte zur Wissenschaftsgeschichte, Bind 43, Nr. 3, 2020, s. 412-429.Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › fagfællebedømt
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Historical Continuity or Different Sensory Worlds? What we Can Learn about the Sensory Characteristics of Early Modern Pharmaceuticals by Taking Them to a Trained Sensory Panel
AU - Ahnfelt, Nils-Otto
AU - Fors, Hjalmar
AU - Wendin, Karin
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - Early modern medicine was much more dependent on the senses than its contemporary counterpart. Although a comprehensive medical theory existed that assigned great value to taste and odor of medicaments, historical descriptions of taste and odor appears imprecise and inconsistent to modern eyes. How did historical actors move from subjective experience of taste and odor to culturally stable agreements that facilitated communication about the sensory properties of medicaments? This paper addresses this question, not by investigating texts, but by going straight to the sensory impression, which certain substances convey. The aim is not to overwrite or rectify historical descriptions but to investigate whether modern methodologies for sensory assessment can be enlisted to understand the past. We draw on history of science for framing and research questions, pharmaceutical science for knowledge of pharmaceuticals and preparations, and food and meal science for assaying procedures and protocols. We show that sensory evaluation can yield precise descriptions that would not have been alien to early modern medicine makers. However, there are problems with translating descriptions of taste between different historical contexts. By comparing contemporary descriptions of sensations with eighteenth-century ones, the article discusses how sensory descriptions are highly dependent on context, and subject to historical change.
AB - Early modern medicine was much more dependent on the senses than its contemporary counterpart. Although a comprehensive medical theory existed that assigned great value to taste and odor of medicaments, historical descriptions of taste and odor appears imprecise and inconsistent to modern eyes. How did historical actors move from subjective experience of taste and odor to culturally stable agreements that facilitated communication about the sensory properties of medicaments? This paper addresses this question, not by investigating texts, but by going straight to the sensory impression, which certain substances convey. The aim is not to overwrite or rectify historical descriptions but to investigate whether modern methodologies for sensory assessment can be enlisted to understand the past. We draw on history of science for framing and research questions, pharmaceutical science for knowledge of pharmaceuticals and preparations, and food and meal science for assaying procedures and protocols. We show that sensory evaluation can yield precise descriptions that would not have been alien to early modern medicine makers. However, there are problems with translating descriptions of taste between different historical contexts. By comparing contemporary descriptions of sensations with eighteenth-century ones, the article discusses how sensory descriptions are highly dependent on context, and subject to historical change.
KW - Early modern medicine
KW - sensory analysis
KW - history of pharmacy
KW - reproduction
KW - reworking
KW - history of taste
KW - history of olfaction
KW - MEDICINE
KW - TASTE
U2 - 10.1002/bewi.202000009
DO - 10.1002/bewi.202000009
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 32885871
VL - 43
SP - 412
EP - 429
JO - Berichte zur Wissenschaftsgeschichte
JF - Berichte zur Wissenschaftsgeschichte
SN - 0170-6233
IS - 3
ER -
ID: 248598658