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Since 1929, the essay has sometimes been printed alongside a note from "the publisher to the reader," which claims that the original letter "has been owned by the United States nation since 1881," before going on to further flatulence-related puns: "Dark hints by
Franklin's biographers have tainted
166:
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
175:
of farting. Franklin also suggests that scientists work to develop a drug, "wholesome and not disagreeable", which can be mixed with "common Food or Sauces" with the effect of rendering flatulence "not only inoffensive, but agreeable as
Perfumes". The essay ends with a
104:
were increasingly pretentious and concerned with the impractical. Revealing his "bawdy, scurrilous side," Franklin responded with an essay suggesting that research and practical reasoning be undertaken into methods of improving the odor of human flatulence.
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358:" writings by Franklin, although even Japikse did not apply that title to "A Letter" specifically. Since the publication of Japikse's book, Japikse's title has sometimes been applied by others to "A Letter" itself.
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139:, "who is apt to give himself Airs." Price did so, reporting back that "I convey’d this to Dr Priestley, and we have been entertained with the pleasantry of it and the ridicule it contains."
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388:) when he later printed it for his collection of bagatelles: XXXII, 396–400. The copy he sent to Price evidently identified the academy as "B——"; see Price's response of April 6, 1784 (
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the air behind its back, but the maiden modesty of even the most contemporary of them has blushed and halted on the brink of its release." The forward also ironically thanks engraver
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154:, for the ensuing year Permit me then humbly to propose one of that sort for your consideration, and through you, if you approve it, for the serious Enquiry of learned
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198:. After Franklin's death, the essay was long excluded from published collections of Franklin's writing. In the 1960s, it was included in volume 32 of the
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529:"ISAPP board members look back in time to respond to Benjamin Franklin's suggestion on how to improve 'natural discharges of wind from our bodies'"
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1838), who, being long dead, "has graciously made no objection" to the use of his illustrations to accompany the piece.
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The original question that provoked
Franklin's ridicule — a geometric question of very vague nature — can be found in
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Franklin never submitted the essay to the
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arranged for that conveyance around Sept. 26; see the letters of that date from John Baynes and Henry Dagge.
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saying that compared to the practical applications of this discussion, other sciences are "scarcely worth a
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with whom
Franklin had an ongoing correspondence, with the jocular suggestion that he should forward it to
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The essay goes on to discuss the way different foods affect the odor of flatulence and to propose
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Mémoires de l'Académie Impériale et Royale des
Sciences et Belles-Lettres de Bruxelles
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suppressed the name "Brussels" (which was present in his draft and the one surviving
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Observations
Concerning the Increase of Mankind, Peopling of Countries, etc.
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Benjamin
Franklin (1937). "A Prize Question". In Paul McPharlin (ed.).
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92:"A Letter to a Royal Academy" was composed in response to a call for
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Fart
Proudly: Writings of Benjamin Franklin You Never Read in School
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Copies of the essay were privately printed by
Franklin at his
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Memorial to the 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence
494:"A Letter by Dr. Franklin to the Royal Academy of Brussels".
327:"An Oral History of Benjamin Franklin's Essay 'Fart Proudly'"
372:"From Benjamin Franklin to Richard Price, 16 September 1783"
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Rules by Which a Great Empire May Be Reduced to a Small One
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The title "Fart Proudly" does not appear in print prior to
100:. Franklin believed that the various academic societies in
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A Dissertation on Liberty and Necessity, Pleasure and Pain
408:
Albert Henry Smyth, ed. (1907). "1441. To Richard Price".
42:, other scientific investigations were "scarcely worth a
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In 2021, on the 240th anniversary of Franklin's letter,
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A Plan for Improving the Condition of the Free Blacks
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952:"Advice to a Friend on Choosing a Mistress" (1745)
414:. Vol. 9 (1783–1788). Macmillan. p. 100.
380:The paper was "To the Royal Academy of Brussels."
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1021:Remarks Concerning the Savages of North America
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232:commissioned a response from scientists at the
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27:Essay written by Benjamin Franklin (circa 1781)
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517:. The Frankliniana Society. 1929. p. 19.
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1254:Cities, counties, schools named for Franklin
971:Experiments and Observations on Electricity
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150:Prize Question, proposed in lieu of one in
1007:Proposed alliance with the Iroquois (1775)
773:Gulf Stream exploration, naming, and chart
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483:. Eakins Press. 1967. p. 77, 181–185.
1101:Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology
872:President, Pennsylvania Abolition Society
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262:Advice to a Friend on Choosing a Mistress
56:A Letter to a Royal Academy about Farting
720:Delegate, 1787 Constitutional Convention
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613:Second Continental Congress (1775–1776)
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1050:The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
934:Early American publishers and printers
461:"SĂ©ance du 13 & 14 Octobre 1779".
603:President of Pennsylvania (1785–1788)
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247:(and thus a successor to Franklin's
38:that compared to his ruminations on
1111:Benjamin Franklin National Memorial
825:Academy and College of Philadelphia
1557:Ann Smith Franklin (sister-in-law)
957:"The Speech of Polly Baker" (1747)
656:Committee of Secret Correspondence
78:United States Ambassador to France
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1542:Mary Morrell Folger (grandmother)
1192:University of Pennsylvania statue
411:The Writings of Benjamin Franklin
62:") is the name of an essay about
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1522:Alexander Bache (great-grandson)
1279:Sons of Ben (Philadelphia Union)
852:Continental Currency dollar coin
753:Franklin's electrostatic machine
725:Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly
608:Ambassador to France (1779–1785)
1517:Andrew Harwood (great-grandson)
1492:Sarah Franklin Bache (daughter)
947:The Drinker's Dictionary (1737)
898:The Papers of Benjamin Franklin
815:Library Company of Philadelphia
511:"The Publisher to the Reader".
325:VanHooker, Brian (2021-01-22).
810:American Philosophical Society
705:1776 Pennsylvania Constitution
700:Staten Island Peace Conference
200:American Philosophical Society
76:while he was living abroad as
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908:Silence Dogood letters (1722)
837:Philadelphia Contributionship
514:Benjamin Franklin on Marriage
243:, a department of the modern
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1512:Richard Bache Jr. (grandson)
1502:Benjamin F. Bache (grandson)
1145:The Apotheosis of Washington
1070:Franklin's phonetic alphabet
1028:"The Morals of Chess" (1786)
921:The Busy-Body columns (1729)
862:United States Postal Service
688:Treaty of Amity and Commerce
467:. Vol. 3. p. xliv.
301:. Berkeley, CA: Frog Books.
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158:, Chemists, &c. of this
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1217:Jefferson Memorial pediment
1138:Royal Society of Arts medal
1013:A Letter to a Royal Academy
673:Declaration of Independence
204:Papers of Benjamin Franklin
52:A Letter to a Royal Academy
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1611:Works by Benjamin Franklin
1552:Richard Bache (son-in-law)
1547:Peter Folger (grandfather)
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830:University of Pennsylvania
293:Carl Japikse, ed. (2003).
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1507:Louis F. Bache (grandson)
1376:(2002 documentary series)
1360:(1997 documentary series)
1259:Benjamin Franklin College
1106:Benjamin Franklin Parkway
651:Hutchinson letters affair
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249:Royal Academy of Brussels
146:I have perused your late
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1532:James Franklin (brother)
1527:Josiah Franklin (father)
1197:Portland, Oregon, statue
1065:Franklin as a journalist
1034:An Address to the Public
927:The Pennsylvania Gazette
683:Franco-American alliance
634:(1754 political cartoon)
234:Young Academy of Belgium
1435:The New-England Courant
1232:One-hundred-dollar bill
1133:Benjamin Franklin Medal
1096:Benjamin Franklin House
940:Poor Richard's Almanack
847:Early American currency
798:111th Infantry Regiment
666:"...to be self-evident"
167:to discharge that wind.
135:famous for his work on
1487:Francis Franklin (son)
1482:William Franklin (son)
1429:American Enlightenment
1368:(2002 animated series)
1237:Franklin silver dollar
1212:Washington D.C. statue
1187:Columbus, Ohio, statue
1172:Revolutionary War Door
1058:Bagatelles and Satires
1052:(1771–1790, pub. 1791)
992:Pennsylvania Chronicle
877:Master, Les Neuf SĹ“urs
428:Satires and Bagatelles
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80:. It is an example of
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1222:Refunding Certificate
820:Pennsylvania Hospital
715:Treaty of Paris, 1783
356:politically incorrect
245:Royal Flemish Academy
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1424:Age of Enlightenment
1350:A More Perfect Union
1227:Franklin half dollar
1202:San Francisco statue
978:Birch letters (1755)
639:Albany Plan of Union
447:founders.archive.gov
376:founders.archive.gov
1537:Jane Mecom (sister)
1477:Deborah Read (wife)
1449:American Revolution
1442:The American Museum
1321:(1964 musical play)
1292:Ben Franklin effect
1400:(2022 documentary)
1302:In popular culture
1116:Franklin Institute
842:Union Fire Company
730:Postmaster General
710:Libertas Americana
693:Treaty of Alliance
173:scientific testing
152:Natural Philosophy
48:
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1408:(2024 miniseries)
1398:Benjamin Franklin
1392:(2015 miniseries)
1384:(2008 miniseries)
1374:Benjamin Franklin
1341:Benjamin Franklin
1274:State of Franklin
984:The Way to Wealth
661:Committee of Five
592:Benjamin Franklin
556:Text of the essay
94:scientific papers
68:Benjamin Franklin
16:(Redirected from
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