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The foregoing essay was written by Benjamin Franklin after the Royal Society of Brussels sent out a call for scientific studies (Wikipedia, n.d.). In it, he describes a potential direction of study that’s aims would be to not only decrease the offensive smell of farts, but turn them as “agreeable as Perfume’s”. Never actually sent to the Royal Society, Franklin printed the essay and sent it out to several others with whom he held personal correspondence, which serves to highlight his sense of humor as well as his personal view on his perceived pretentiousness of the Royal Society (n.d.). Every attempt was made to preserve the formatting of the original essay, though access of the publication was limited to secondary sources of the printing (Franklin, 1987; TeachingAmericanHistory.org, 2012). May it serve as a reminder to all scholars that, while your work may be quite important, it is never as important at maintaining a sense of humor. Or at the very least at the glacial pace of science; 232 years and still no progress on those perfumed farts.
- : Benjamin Franklin
- : 1781
