Ancient Odors | June Newsletter

Biblical Smells: Even in ancient times, people were aware of odors. Unfortunately, NeutrOlene wasn't invented until the 21st century. Here are a few references to smells and odors from various editions of the bible:

"The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of humans, even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done."
    Genesis 8:21 NIV

"So he went to him and kissed him. When Isaac caught the smell of his clothes, he blessed him     and said, “Ah, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field that the LORD has blessed."
    Genesis 27:27 NIV

"The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its     water. Blood was everywhere in Egypt."
    Exodus 7:21 NIV

"However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was     full of maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them."
    Exodus 16:20 NIV

    "The satraps, the prefects, the governors and the king's high officials gathered around and saw in that the fire had no effect on the bodies of these men nor was the hair of their head singed, nor were their trousers damaged, nor had the smell of fire even come upon them."
    Daniel 3:27 NASB

    "But I will remove the northern army far from you, And I will drive it into a parched and desolate land, And its vanguard into the eastern sea, And its rear guard into the western sea And its stench will arise and its foul smell will come up, For it has done great things."
    Joel 2:20 NASB

   " If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where     would the sense of smell be?"
    1 Corinthians 12:17 NASB

World's Stinkiest Foods: Thanks to transportation and technology, our world continues to shrink. However significant the shrinkage, there is no middle ground when it comes to stinky food -- you either love it or you hate it. Here is a list of some of the stinkiest foods in the world.

Surströmming, in the north of Sweden, is herring fermented in barrels for a couple of months, then put into tin cans for up to another year. The fermentation is so strong that the can bulges from pressure, and it has been banned by some airlines who say that it is an explosive safety hazard. Many people eat it outdoors because of the strong odors released when the can is opened, often compared to rotten eggs, vinegar, and rancid butter. 

Kiviak, a delicacy of Greenland, is made by wrapping whole small sea birds (auk), feathers and all, in sealskin and burying it for several months to ferment. When it is dug up, the insides are decayed to the point of near-liquification and are reportedly sucked out after creating an opening by breaking off the head or some other means. 

Kimchi, also spelled kimchee, is a well-known Korean dish that has become a household name around the world. It is made from fermented vegetables and is often eaten at every meal – yes, even for breakfast. While some Americans love it, it may be off-putting while cooking or on the breath after eating. example. 

A popular dish at night markets on the streets China, Taiwan and Southeast Asia, stinky tofu's name speaks for itself. Fresh tofu is added to a brine made from fermented milk, meat, vegetables and sometimes seafood. The brine can be so rotten that it will be infested with maggots – even people who like it often admit it's smell resembles rotten trash or feces.

Natto is a slimy, fermented soybean Japanese dish. Often eaten for breakfast with or on top of rice, in sushi or added to a bowl of noodles. A little soy-based sauce and Chinese mustard is added before the beans are mixed up in a circular motion with chopsticks, which creates lots of bubbles and gooey strings of, well, slimy fermented beans.

What Islam says about bad breath and body odor: Islam is very precise about Muslims keeping themselves clean and smelling good at all times.  Islam is a beautiful religion, full of wisdom and harmony...and if this wonderful religion is followed properly then a typical Muslim would only be a great example to follow.

 Narrated Jabir bin Abdullah:  "The Prophet said, 'Whoever has eaten garlic or onion, should     keep away from us, or should keep away from our mosque and should stay at home.' Ibn     Wahb said, 'Once a plate full of cooked vegetables was brought to the Prophet at Badr. Detecting a bad smell from it, he asked about the dish and was informed of the kinds of vegetables in contained. He then said, 'Bring it near,' and so it was brought near to one of his companions who was with him. When the Prophet saw it, he disliked eating it and said (to his companion), 'Eat, for I talk in secret to ones whom you do not talk to.'  (Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Holding Fast to the Qur'an and Sunnah, Volume 9, Book 92, Number 458)"

 If a person has a bad breath, then he not only will harm his fellow Muslims, but also the angels as well. Notice that the first Saying of our beloved Prophet is not just limited to bad breath. Any type of bad smell that comes out of a person is not accepted. This could be the smell of bad body sweat, morning breath, etc. These people are not allowed near the Muslims or the Mosques.

Narrated Abu Musa: "The Prophet said, 'The example of a believer who recites the Qur'an and acts on it, is like a citron which tastes nice and smells nice. And the example of a believer who does not recite the Qur'an but acts on it, is like a date which tastes good but has no smell. And the example of a hypocrite who recites the Qur'an is like a Raihana (sweet basil) which smells good but tastes bitter And the example of a hypocrite who does not recite the Quran is like a colocynth which tastes bitter and has a bad smell.'  (Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Virtues of the Qur'an, Volume 6, Book 61, Number 579)" 

We clearly see how Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) praised the "good smell".  He associated the good Muslims with good smells, and the not so good Muslims with the bad smells. 

A brief history of funeral home hand fans: In the early America and into the early 1940s, there was no air conditioning. During the months of summer and into the late fall, the weather was so warm, fanning one's self was a necessary skill and in every town, funeral homes ordered hundreds, sometimes thousands of fans for the public to use in warm weather. These fans were about as big around as a hat and were held by a wooden stick (usually in the shape of a tongue depressor) and were decorated with the firm's name, address, phone number and perhaps a bible verse or a religious picture. No doubt, these fans worked to circulate the air and circulate the various odors in the room.

For funerals, fans were placed in every pew...and in the early evenings -- dating back to the 1920s and '30s -- folks sat on their front porches, fanning themselves with funeral fans brought home from the last funeral. In those days, funeral fans were excellent advertisements but also survival tools for the long, hot summer.

NeutrOlene Word of the Month: "fusty" -- pronounced (fuhs-tee). Meaning "having a stale smell; moldy, musty. Origins date back to 1300s. Synonyms: close, stuffy, oppressive, smelly, malodorous. In a sentence: Grandma's attic was a bit fusty, as it hadn't been visited since her death 10 years ago.  To a realtor: I wouldn't think of living in such a damp, fusty place, no matter what the price.

Mortuary Case Study 101: When the shooting victim's body arrived at the funeral home, you immediately knew it was in bad shape. For whatever reason, it was well into the last phases of decomposition. You had no idea about what you were getting. It's that way when you have the contract with the county. Then the family called, wanting to see their loved one. You are gentle-but-firm as you basically tell them, "No way." 

The family also wants a green burial and a visitation. Rather than have the body present, you offer a chapel casket and use of a silk flower arrangement for the top. The family is happy with your suggestions. Opening the body bag requires full PPE and a large bottle of NeutrOlene, plus NeutrOlene granules to absorb the near-liquid contents. Luckily, you have a supply of NeutrO-Hang on hand and immediately place one in the prep room.

The next day, with help from the staff, all in PPE, you transfer the remains into an earth-friendly body bag, adding more environmentally-friendly NeutrO-Gran Granules before closing it for the last time. Then, with NeutrOlene spray, you neutralize the last vestiges of the decomp odors in the prep, spray the hall, the staff restroom and make sure your removal vehicle smells as minty sweet as it did before it left to make the removal. 

Once again, the NeutrOlene family of products has made the difference, and in this case, a big difference for you and your staff. But more importantly, it has enabled you, the director, to fulfill the wishes of the family. What could be better?  

To order the NeutrOlene family of products by phone or online, go to www.neutrolene.com.