Smelling salt was first recorded in ancient Rome, and it was called "harmony Kussar" in Pliny's works. In the13rd century, there was a lot of evidence that alchemists also used smelling salts, which were called "sal". /kloc-in the 0/7th century, people distilled ammonia solution from antlers, so smelling salt also got another name "antlers wine".

In Victorian England, smelling salt was a necessity for upper-class ladies. It is widely used to wake up women who have fainted, so the police often carry smelling salts with them in case of emergency. Because in the upper class at that time, people thought that women should be weak and faint when they saw something inappropriate. That's a first-rate woman, so they should have smelling salts around them so that they can "wake up" immediately. During World War II, olfactory salt was also widely used, and the British Red Cross took it as the first item of the first aid kit.

Today, smelling salts are still used in some sports occasions, such as boxing and weightlifting. When athletes are in a state of chaos, doctors will wake them up with smelling salts and continue the competition.

Ammonia gas produced by smelling salt is toxic, and it can even be fatal if inhaled in large quantities, but it will not cause danger if inhaled in small quantities. However, many professional nurses are still strongly opposed to using smelling salts to wake up the coma caused by sports injuries, because respiratory convulsions caused by ammonia stimulation may aggravate the injuries.