Per Ben Franklin’s note (from Cecil’s column on asparagus) where can you get a “turpentine pill” (assuming it’s not deadly). Would a few drops of turpentine or eating some pine resin accomplish the same thing to test out Franklin’s “pleasing smell of violets” observation .
I wouldn’t do it, though the practice of medicinal use of turpentine seems to have been common through the 19th century:
http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed/eclectic/cook/TEREBINTHINA.htm
http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed/eclectic/kings/pinus_tere.html
Both of those sources mention the smell of violets imparted to the urine, as does a more modern toxicology report:
http://www.emedicine.com/emerg/byname/toxicity-terpene.htm
On this one, I’ll trust the literature. You will note that even those 19th century dispensary reports don’t make it sound like it’s particularly good for you:
I was just about to post the same link as yabob did, but on preview, I see he’s beaten me to it.
So I’ll just point out that Samuel Pepys apparently took turpentine pills as well. From his diary entry of December 31, 1664 on this page, http://www.pepys.info/1664/1664.html
Personally, though, I wouldn’t eat turpentine even if it made my pee smell like Chanel No. 5…
And my saliva will strip paint. It’s all good!
I think the easiest way to get a turpentine pill is to break one off a tree. That’s where natural turnpentine comes from, you know.