Ben Franklin’s Finest — Fart ProudlyIn 1781 The Royal Academy of Brussels called forth t

Ben Franklin’s Finest — Fart ProudlyIn 1781 The Royal Academy of Brussels called forth the scientists of Europe to submit scientific papers for scholarly review.  At the time Bejamin Franklin, who was a respected scientist the world over, was Ambassador to France with the mission of drumming up support from King Louis XVI for the American Revolution.  After living in Europe for a number of years Franklin came to the opinion that many European academic societies where composed of very rude and pretentious people who were concerned with the impractical.  In response to the Academy’s call Franklin submitted a paper called “Fart Proudly”, which was an analysis of the phenomenon of human flatulence.  In “Fart Proudly” Franklin described the various sounds and smells of flatulence caused by the digestion of certain foods.  Franklin went on further to outline how it is rude and uncivilized to pass gas in the company of others,“ It is universally well known, that in digesting our common food, there is created or produced in the bowels of human creatures, a great quantity of wind. That the permitting this air to escape and mix with the atmosphere, is usually offensive to the company, from the fetid smell that accompanies it. That all well-bred people therefore, to avoid giving such offence, forcibly restrain the efforts of nature to discharge that wind.”In conclusion Franklin suggests that the scientific community further research the subject of flatulence, with the goal of developing a drug or potion with the effect of rendering flatulence odorless or “as agreeable as perfumes” so that people can fart as they wish without social stigma.  Franklin closes by stating that compared to the practical applications of such a discovery, all other fields of research are “scarcely worth a FART-HING.” (a farthing is a coin)The Royal Academy of Brussels never published his paper, although being a printer Franklin publishes and distributed a number of copies himself.  "Fart Proudly" was one of only two banned or censored writings of Benjamin Franklin, the other being “Advice to a Friend on Choosing a Mistress”.  To read a copy of “Fart Proudly” click here. -- source link

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