OF THE rabbit's TONGUE. 299 



the gustatory bulbs. The fibrils are pale and very difficult to trace, 

 but from analogous instances in the Amphibia we may surmise that 

 they end in brush-like filaments which become lost in the layer of 

 epithelium. 



Having now glanced briefly at the microscopical characters of the 

 surrounding tissues, it remains for me to point out to you the histolo- 

 gical elements entering into the formation of the bodies, to which 

 foreign observers have given the names of bulbs, goblets, flasks or 

 cells ; and which are supposed to aid or even accomplish the func- 

 tion of taste, and therefore have been named gustatory bulbs. Tlie 

 ner^e fibres last mentioned, under a high magnifying power, may be 

 traced running up the lateral branch of the papilla, but not apparently 

 diverging from their course to enter the bases of these bulbs. It is 

 conceived that they do so in the proper fulfilment of their function, 

 but as in many instances we are conscious of pain, and know from that 

 fact that some nervous connection exists between the seat of the 

 pain and the sensorium, and yet it is difficult to demonstrate the 

 ultimate nerve fibres concerned in the phenomenon ; so here we are 

 met by a similar difficulty in demonstrating what we have every reason 

 to believe exists ; and if some of our friends with high and excellent 

 powers and unbounded patience in showing the markings on a 

 diatom, would but devote a little time and attention to the demon- 

 stration of ultimate nerve terminations, it would both add to their 

 interest and our further knowledge, and be attended with quite 

 sufficient difficulty in resolving as to tempt the most rabid diatomist. 



According to the researches of Englemann, one or more fasciculi of 

 nerves run up the axis of the papilla, whilst in many instances they 

 penetrate its lateral portion, and there breaking up into numerous 

 fine and frequently decussating sinuous branches, stream out towards 

 the epithelium ; but as these branches contain many more pale than 

 dark bordered fibres, it is extremely difficult to trace them into the gus- 

 tatory bulbs. But let us examine one of these bulbs after it has been 

 isolated from its adjacent tissues, and then dissecting its component 

 parts, we may obtain a slight clue to the course of this perijDheral 

 nerve fibre we are in search of. A section taken parallel to the 

 lamellae will probably cut off the upper portion of the neck, as we 

 may call it, of one of these flask-lilie bodies ; upon looking into the 

 upper half of this detached epithelial casing, we shall perceive a small 

 hole surrounded by epithelium, through which the pointed neck of 

 the flask projected ; this hole is termed the gustatory pore. 



An examination of the part from which this casing became de- 



