296 Journal of Comparative Neurology and Psychology. 



and saccharine stimnlate only through their hitter and sweet prop- 

 erties and not, as is largely the case in the dogfish, by means of 

 the acid radical. Kiesow ('94a) found that he could separate the 

 tactile from the gustatory sense in the reactions to acids and salts. 

 In 1903a he added that some tastes are mixed with pressure. 

 Ilerlitzka in 1907 insisted that metallic taste is partly tactile, while 

 in 1908 he concluded that it is entirely due to smell and touch. 

 These citations show that even in man the nerves of general sen- 

 sation possess the ]iower of reacting to chemical stimuli to a far 

 greater extent than is usually considered to be the case. In addi- 

 tion to the special sensitiveness of certain portions of the outer skin 

 to chemical stimuli the nerves share in what we are accustomed 

 to call the sense of smell and jdav a large part in the sense of 

 taste. They i)rol)ably have much to do with the reactions to acid, 

 alkaline, and salty substances, at least, although such work as that 

 of Kiesow ('98) shows that the taste buds and nerves certainly 

 take some part in these responses. Kiesow found that individual 

 papilla? react to acid and salty tastes. The work on the dogfish is 

 in line with such an interpretation, as here the body surface, in- 

 nervated by the nerves of general sensation, is especially sensitive 

 to acid, alkaline, 'and salty sulistances, while bitter stimuli affect 

 chiefly the mouth. 



We now come to the question as to whether or not these chem- 

 ical reactions are due to a sense quality distinct from the general 

 tactile sense. It is generally assumed that there are several dis- 

 tinct tastes: sour, salty, bitter and sweet, at least. The work of 

 Kiesow ('98) on the different papilla3 of the tongue, and that 

 of von Anrep ('80), Hooper ('87), Berthold ('88), Oehrwall ('91), 

 Kiesow ('94a); and Vinci ('97, '99) with cocaine, gymnema and 

 allied substances support the view that the different taste qualities 

 can be separated from one another. Practically all authorities are 

 agreed in believing that there are likewise in man several cuta- 

 neous sense qualities. It is not essential for the point at issue 

 whether one follow the dicta of the Elix, Goldscheider, von Frey 

 school or arrive at the conclusions expressed by Xagel ('05) ; or, 

 on the other hand, assent to views of Head, Rivers, Sherren and 



