KAULENBERO — ACTION OF SOLUTIONS ON TASTE. 11 



•quently expect to find a relation between the electrical conduc- 

 tivity of solutions and their effect on the end-organs of taste. 



When volatile substances are introduced into the mouth, the 

 volatilized portions fill the mouth cavity and also the nasal pas- 

 sages; in the latter they frequently act on the organs of smell, 

 and we are very apt to confound the smell of such sul stances 

 with their taste. Indeed, it is well known that many volatile 

 substances, which we commonly regard as having a strung taste, 

 in reality have no taste at all, for when the nasal passages are 

 obstructed these substances are without taste. It is clear from 

 this that experiments on the sense of taste are best conducted 

 with substances that are non-volatile. 



The sensations of taste are commonly classified as those of 

 ■sweet, sour, salty, and bitter, to which Wundt 1 adds alkaline and 

 metallic. There can be no doubt, however, that there are very 

 many kinds and shades of taste that are quite distinct and not 

 to be referred to sensations of touch, and that the above classi- 

 fication can claim at best to be only a very rough one. The 

 investigator of this subject is soon struck by the fact that we 

 have so few names to describe the various tastes. It is often 

 very difficult for the subject experimented upon to report in 

 words what taste the substance under consideration has, in spite 

 of the fact that a very definite impression is experienced. 



The sense of taste is frequently regarded as rather vague, in- 

 definite and uncertain, probably in part because it is not more 

 definitely localized, and yet, experiments show that it is ex- 

 ceedingly sensitive toward many things, and the fact that it 

 may be cultivated to distinguish very small differences is be- 

 yond dispute. 



The Method of Experimentation. 



Fifteen persons served as subjects to be experimented upon. 

 Thirteen of these were between twenty and thirty years of age ; 

 of this number three were ladies. The other two, a lady and a 



1 Grundziige der physi«logischeu PyscTiologie I., p. 439. 



