Diabetes affects our blood vessels and nerves and therefore can affect any part of the body. However, certain parts of our body are affected more than other parts.
I don't think dogwoods have (much?) scent, maybe just lightly floral. The white petally looking things are not actually petals they are bracts, like a poinsettia has. There's something called an English dogwood that is very fragrant, but it isn't a true dogwood and is also known as mock orange. Bradford pears have a smell that this author described as sweaty socks, so if your tree doesn't smell very good that's probably it: http://www.gardenguides.com/106133-dogw ...
Collect seeds from the dogwood tree in the fall, before the first frost. The seeds will soften as they ripen and turn a brighter red. They are ripe when the seed pulp is soft to the touch and the seeds easily come off the branches. Remove each from the red pulp that surrounds it.