32 JOURNAL OF THE 



Most importaut in tlie field of physical iDvestigation are the 

 senses of taste, of smell, and of sight. The sense of touch may 

 be very marvellously developed in some cases, especially where 

 there is a deficiency in one or more of the other senses. This 

 compensating power of nature is true of all the senses, and of 

 course must be taken into account in any discussion of their 

 bounds. The loss of one results in greatly increased acuteness 

 of the others. What may be true of the sense in its normal or 

 average condition would have to be greatly modified for it when 

 thus abnormal. The limit found in the one case must be 

 extended much farther in the other. It is highly probable that 

 this increase of power in the remaining senses is chiefly the 

 reward which Nature places upon increased training and that 

 similar power can be attained without the loss of any of the 

 senses by subjecting oneself to equally careful training. It is 

 well known that the blind can easilv distinguish the nature of 

 objects which they pass, even though at quite a distance from 

 them. The test of touch is one of the earliest we apply from 

 our infancy on, yet from its superficial nature it can solve but 

 few of the problems and explain scarcely any of the mysteries 

 which surround us. 



Akin to the sense of touch is the temperature sense. It is not 

 generally known, though researches at Upsala and Neissa and 

 Baltimore have shown, that on our bodies we have spots capable 

 only of sensations of heat, others capable only of cold, and 

 between the two those capable of neither heat nor cold, but of 

 pressure only. These spots have even been carefully mapped 

 out. Thev are verv small and are easily exhausted. With all 

 their sensitiveness, however, these spots are not capable of meas- 

 uring heat very delicately. The sensations, too, are based on no 

 fixed standard. The measurement of temperature by means of 

 a thermometer without a degree marked upon it would be mere 

 guess-work and niemory, and this is the case with this "tem- 

 perature sense." Hence the frequent recurrence of phenomenal 

 temperature, summer and winter, exceeding the bounds of the 

 inemorv of the "oldest inhabitant." It is warm, it i>< cold, 

 according as the preceding sensation was colder or warmer. 



