PHYSIOLOGICAL INFLUENCE OF CONDIMENTS. 703 



a sense in another point of view. An agent acting upon the mucous 

 membrane of the mouth, stomach, or intestine, may produce in the 

 nervous system important effects as regards digestion, and yet we 

 may have no sensation of this either through taste or through smell, 

 its parts not entering into communication with the central organ of 

 sensation. 



Having thus given a notion of what he understands by condiments, 

 the author lays some stress upon the foregoing considerations, in order 

 to show that a substance may be rigorously denominated a condiment, 

 without exercising any agreeable effect upon the organs of taste. Still 

 the chief condiments do undoubtedly produce this effect. A mixture 

 of pure albumen, fat, starch, salts, and water, would suffice for alimen- 

 tation, and yet it would be a satisfactory ration only in case of extreme 

 want. In any other case we should regard it as unpalatable, and 

 should refuse to partake of it. All alimentary substances, even those 

 which come from the vegetable kingdom, are combined with sub- 

 stances which, though not nutritious, still have a flavor, and the former 

 are not easily digested unless they first gratify the palate. Substances 

 without flavor, or which are repulsive to the palate, are nauseating, 

 and cause vomiting. There exists, therefore, a functional relation be- 

 tween the central organ of taste and the stomach. If the former acts 

 upon the latter adversely, it may also act favorably upon it. In like 

 manner, too, the central organ of taste is influenced by the stomach. 

 Satiety deprives food, which once was agreeable to us, of its power of 

 gratifying the palate. 



Several condiments act upon the stomach, or on the intestine, after 

 having first produced an agreeable sensation of taste. The excitation 

 to which they give rise does not extend to the central organ, there to 

 produce the same sensation. They are limited to the stomach and to 

 the intestine, and serve to favor digestion and absorption. The gas- 

 tric juice, we know, is not secreted continually, but only when there is 

 something in the stomach. When the mucous membrane of that organ 

 is excited by the contact of a quill, for instance, or of a glass rod, the 

 gastric juice begins to flow, and the vessels of the mucous membrane 

 become charged with blood. The presence of food produces the same 

 effect. But there are other excitations which appear to act even more 

 powerfully on the stomach. If we introduce a drop of alcohol or ether, 

 or a solution of common salt, into the stomach of a living animal, the 

 juice will flow from the glands, just as the same effect is produced by 

 the thought of some savory dish. We may observe this when we offer 

 a hungry dog a piece of meat. It is for this reason that we frequently 

 add to our food substances strongly salted or aromatized, as, for in- 

 stance, a caviare, or a glass of some spirituous liquor, such as sherry. 

 The same effect may even be produced by the very sight of the label 

 borne by such articles. When meat is roasted at a hot fire, it brings 

 about this same result in the best and simplest manner ; and most of 



