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Objective/Context: This article aims to analyze the olfactory descriptions of blood, the Indigenous, and their idols in sacrificial narratives in four early modern American sources (sixteenth century): Letters of Relation by Hernán Cortés, The Vision of the Defeated by Miguel León Portilla, General History of the Things of New Spain by Bernardino de Sahagún, and the inquisitorial process of the cacique of Texcoco. Methodology: Cultural history as a methodology allows examining the olfactory perception of stench as part of the narration of the body and Indigenous religious rituals during the Conquest. This approach helps to identify the discourses or representations about the Indigenous in the established period and to outline an interpretative matrix that combines the analysis of cultural elements with odorant perceptions. Originality: The study’s relevance lies in analyzing how odor affects the recognition and dominance of the Indigenous society. Odorant perception reveals the plurality of olfactory sensitivities as part of social relations. In this way, we study how the stench or the olfactory disdain toward the Indigenous sacrificial practices described in the chronicles contributed to the moral and sensory classification that justified the inequality between peninsular Spaniards and Indigenous people. Conclusions: Stench and fragrance can be read as control devices that legitimize the violence of the Conquest and the various debates surrounding American bodily aesthetics.

The article considers the correspondence of the famous writer Ivan Shmelev (1873–1950) with Olga Bredius-Subbotina (1904–1959). Their acquaintance took place in the emigration in a “reader-admirer” format. It was a difficult period in Shmelev’s life due to the execution of his single son, the force to emigrate, the death of his wife. The writer’s state evoked sensation of parting with the world. Unexpected correspondence with Bredius-Subbotina, her admiration for the creative work of a talented master of literature revived the desire to live and create. This time it was correspondence, which over time gained special significance for Shmelev, gave him the opportunity to be heard in his stories about the tragic feelings with which he had lived for years. Among the most painful one was the theme of Crimea, which broke out in correspondence with the deeply stored state – the memory of the Crimean smells, as it turned out, was more stable, strong and therefore dear to the writer’s heart. This implied a corresponding reaction of the addressee. But Bredius-Subbotina remained somewhat indifferent to the topic of Crimea, nevertheless she was able to offer a new format of correspondence on the wave of Crimean smells favourite by Shmelev. In the letters by Bredius-Subbotina the accents were shifted to the experience of pleasure of flower aromas and smells. Shmelev accepted this proposal without giving up on the Crimean oxymoronic meanings, multiplying them by the smell of grapes and roses, as a challenge to the abnormal world. Bredius-Subbotina was no less persistent in her desires, so with special force turned “scents of life” into correspondence, i.e. scents of favourite flowers, thereby arousing Shmelev’s impression through his sense of smell, helping him to return to his youth, to boyishness, to a seemingly forgotten state. Thus, in 1941, in the midst of the tragic events of the World War II the traditional theme of world literature love and war revived in correspondence between Shmelev and Bredius-Subbotina. The moment came when Shmelev realized that Olga Aleksandrovna was his last love, and his correspondence with her was a “romance in letters”; he, as a writer, created his last work of art, which would be read by descendants. Therefore, Shmelev not only restored the traditions of world and Russian love epistolarians, but also brought his experience back to his youth. He was fascinated by the possibility of exchanging flowers and floral aromas, which contributed to the intensive work of the imagination. In his letters, the writer created floral sketches of his beloved one, and then wrote an etude “Girl with Flowers”, which he managed to convey. Hyacinths, bells, lilies, peas, lilacs were transferred from Paris to Holland and became symbols of passionate love. Shmelev and Bredius-Subbotina turned to another cultural tradition, and therefore received letters with the smell of French perfume, which created a sense of bodily intimacy, a special state of love. Flowers, floral fragrances, French spirits mixed in love correspondence determined its style and presented a unique image of love for the twentieth century.

This study aims to present reflections on the meaning of olfactory sensations and perceptions, as well as their relevance as a phenomenon present in Nursing practice. It stresses the importance of the smells' chemical language in the hospital environment, emphasizing some deductions about the aesthetics of smells from the Nursing perspective. The authors conclude that a deeper aesthetic/philosophical and technical/scientific comprehension of smell emanations will contribute to human care, especially in Nursing diagnoses and prescriptions, environmental quality regulation and therapeutics.Este estudio presenta reflexiones acerca del significado de las percepciones y sensaciones olfativas y suya pertinencia como fenómeno presente en la práctica de la Enfermería. Destaca la importancia de la linguage química de los olores en el ambiente hospitalario, puntuando algunas deducciones sobre la estética de los olores por la enfermería. Concluye que la mayor comprensión estético/filosófica y técnico/científica de las emanaciones odorantes podrá contribuir para el cuidado humano, especialmente en el diagnóstico y prescripción de Enfermería, vigilancia de la calidad ambiental y terapéutica.Este estudo apresenta reflexões acerca do significado das percepções e sensações olfativas e sua pertinência como fenômeno presente na prática da Enfermagem. Destaca a importância da linguagem química dos odores no ambiente hospitalar, pontuando algumas deduções sobre a estética dos odores pela enfermagem. Conclui que a maior compreensão estético/filosófica e técnico/científica das emanações odorantes poderá contribuir para o cuidado humano, especialmente no diagnóstico e prescrição de Enfermagem, vigilância da qualidade ambiental e terapêutica.