324 pliny's natural history. [Book XV. 



in common to the fruits and the various juices : the sweet, the 

 luscious, the unctuous, the bitter, the rough, the acrid, 92 the 

 pungent, the sharp, the sour, and the salt ; in addition to 

 which, there are three other kinds of flavours of a nature that is 

 truly singular. The first of these last kinds is that flavour in 

 which several other flavours are united, as in wine, for in- 

 stance ; for in it we are sensible of the rough, the pungent, 93 

 and the luscious, all at the same moment, and all of them 

 flavours that belong to other substances. The second of these 

 flavours is that in which we are sensible at the same instant 

 of a flavour that belongs to another substance, and yet of one 

 that is peculiar to the individual object of which we are tast- 

 ing, such as that of milk, for instance : indeed, in milk we 

 cannot correctly say that there is any pronounced flavour that 

 is either sweet, or unctuous, or luscious, a sort of smooth taste 94 

 in the mouth being predominant, which holds the place of a 

 more decided flavour. The third instance is that of water, 

 which has no flavour whatever, nor, indeed, any flavouring 

 principle ; 95 but still, this very absence of flavour is considered 

 as constituting one of them, and forming a peculiar class 96 of 

 itself ; so much so, indeed, that if in water any taste or flavour- 

 ing principle is detected, it is looked upon as impure. 



In the perception of all these various flavours the smell 

 plays a very considerable 97 part, there being a very great 

 affinity between them. Water, however, is properly quite in- 

 odorous : and if the least smell is to be perceived, it is not 

 pure water. It is a singular thing that three of the principal 

 elements 98 of Nature — water, air, and fire— should have neither 

 taste nor smell, nor, indeed, any flavouring principle whatever. 



92 It requires considerable discernment to appropriate nicely its English 

 synonym to these four varieties of tastes, " acer, acutus, acerbus, and 

 a'cidus," more especially when we find tbat the "bitter" and the "rough" 

 are occupied already by the " amarus " and the " austerus." 



93 In allusion, probably, to the pungency of the aroma or bouquet. 



94 Lenitate. 



95 This seems to be the meaning of " succus." 



96 The " insipid." 



97 This is so much the case, that the most nauseous medicine may be 

 taken almost with impunity — so far as taste is concerned — by tightly press- 

 ing the nostrils while taking it. 



98 Fee remarks that this is true of fire, and of distilled or perfectly pure 

 water ; but that physiologists are universally agreed that the air has its 

 own peculiar smell. 



