法國皇家醫學會於1776年開始所發起的全國衛生普查，象徵著公共衛生國家在法國的成形。藉由分析法國皇家醫學會的史料文獻，本文試著勾勒其所進行的全國衛生普查之輪廓，並進一步深究這個統一化的認識活動內部的組織原理。本文發現人與其環境之關係，在法國皇家醫學會的調查研究當中被緊密地連結在一起，環境被認為可以直接對人的身體健康發生作用。全國衛生普查所凸顯出來的是醫學賦予自己的新使命：認識環境以及改善環境，進而改善人類的身體健康品質。在所有影響人的身體健康的各種因素當中，尤其以空氣的作用最受到重視。法國皇家醫學會透過嗅覺架起警戒線，到處探查各種可能產生有害氣體的地方，並試圖以科學方法掌握其產生機制。他們調查在沼澤、河流、糞便處理場、公墓以及擁擠的人群中，所產生的有害氣體對人可能產生的作用。他們驚覺到似乎人類已經陷入毒氣死亡陷阱內而不自知，對抗臭氣的警鐘於是被敲響了。

The national health surveys launched by the French Royal Society of Medicine in 1774, characterize the formation of France as a country of public hygiene. By analyzing the archives of the French Royal Society of Medicine, this paper outlines the national health surveys conducted by this institution and further studies the principle of internal organization of this unified activity of research. This paper finds that the relationship between people and their environment was closely linked together in the research performed by the French Royal Society of Medicine. The environment was deemed as a direct factor to human health. What the national health surveys highlighted was a new mission with which the Society of Medicine was endowed: knowing and improving the environment, thus improving the quality of human health. Among all factors affecting human health, the effect of air caught especially the most attention. The Society of Medicine set cordon through the sense of smell, explored any possible place at which harmful gas would appear, and tried to adopt scientific methods to grasp the mechanism of its generation. They investigated the impact on human body caused by harmful gas generated from swamps, rivers, excreta disposal sites, cemeteries, and the crowds. They were startled to realize that human beings seemed to have fallen unconsciously into the deadly trap of poison gas. The alarm against the odor was therefore awakened.