Anosmia
Historical document, translated for reference. It reflects medical knowledge of the 1920s–30s and is not medical advice.
Summary
Anosmia is the absence of smell, classified into four types based on causes: respiratory (due to nasal breathing difficulties), gustatory (related to poor choanal airflow), essential (from atrophy of olfactory cell endings or inflammatory conditions), and intracranial (from central olfactory nerve damage). Functional anosmia can also develop from hysteria and traumatic neuroses.
Encyclopedia entry (1928–1936)
ANOSMIA (from Greek a- negative particle, and osme-smell), absence of smell. Anosmia, depending on the causes producing them, is divided into 1) A. respiratoria-occurs with difficulty in nasal breathing; 2) A. gustatoria-is associated with poor airflow through the choanae (taste of food is not perceived); 3) A. essentialis-with atrophy of the terminal endings of olfactory cells, but can also occur with various inflammatory conditions of the nasal mucosa; 4) A. intra-cranialis-depends on central damage to the olfactory nerve. In addition to this, functional A. is also observed, developing under the influence of hysteria and traumatic neuroses. -Treatment. For respiratory A., it is necessary to eliminate the causes that interfere with nasal breathing. For other types of A., electrification with 0.2-0.6 mA (anode on the nose) and injections of strychnine are applied.
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Cite this page
“Anosmia.” Soviet Medical Encyclopedia. English translation of Bolshaya Meditsinskaya Entsiklopediya, 1st ed. (Moscow, 1928–1936), ed. N. A. Semashko. https://sovietmedicalencyclopedia.pages.dev/article/anosmia/