128 SIXTH REPORT 1836. 



at and rejected, and so indeed was a piece of fresh meat untainted, 

 his appetite being apparently satisfied or yielding to instinctive caution. 



" In a few days we again assembled and introduced another terrier 

 dog, not experimented upon. Some pieces of fresh meat were cast 

 before each dog on this occasion, and they both indicated voracious ap- 

 petite. The next morsels were successively rubbed over with quinine, 

 extract of colocynth, and coloquintida powder : the dog not operated 

 upon bolted the morsel with the quinine, but rejected the others in suc- 

 cession ; but the dog on which the experiment was performed ate all 

 the medicated morsels without reserve, exhibiting at several repetitions 

 some degree of caution and distrust, more than might perhaps have 

 been evinced in eating the sound and fresh meats. 



" We then stirred up a considerable quantity of the extract of colo- 

 cynth in a bowl of milk, which the dog not operated on began to lap, 

 but instantly desisted with an expression of disgust : it was next placed 

 before the dog operated on, and he instantly and voraciously lapped it all 

 up. 



" Such has been our experiment on the sense of taste ; and on compar- 

 ing the phsenomena mentioned by Panizzawith those just detailed, a strict 

 coincidence is observable. After the division of the nerve no diminution 

 in the power of protruding the tongue occurred, and the dog could still 

 lap, masticate, and swallow, and although in possession of the other 

 nerves of the tongue entire, when the glosso- pharyngeal nerve was di- 

 vided on each side, the recognition of the sense of taste was obviously lost, 

 for substances of disgustingly pungent and bitter flavour, which dogs 

 will not eat if tasted, were devoured indiscriminately with solid meat 

 and milk. 



" We therefore beg to submit to the deliberate consideration of the 

 Section, whether there be not grounds sufficient to warrant the pre- 

 sumption of that hypothesis being fallacious, which ascribes the specific 

 sense of taste to the lingual branches of the fifth pair of nerves, and 

 the power of deglutition to the glosso-pharyngeal nerves ? We feel 

 that we are fully warranted in acknowledging the conviction to which 

 Panizza's experiments tend, as to the separate functions and sensibili- 

 ties of the nerves of the tongue, corroborated as they are by our own 

 observations. 



" The sense of taste has never long together enjoyed any fixed locality 

 amongst the lingual nerves, and each nerve in its turn has been deemed 

 the gustatory nerve, whilst all three pairs have also been supposed to 

 be concerned in the propagation of flavours to the sensorium. Latterly, 

 indeed, the experiments of Sir Charles Bell and M. Majendie have in- 

 duced a train of reasoning which terminated the question in favour of 

 the fifth pair of nerves being alone concerned in the sense of taste, and 

 anatomy is referred to in support of this notion ; nevertheless. Pro- 

 fessor Panizza was led to doubt the hypotiiesis on anatomical grounds, 

 and his researches confirmed his doubts, he having found this nerve ra- 

 mified upon the mucous membrane of the tongue only. Without, how- 

 ever, entering upon the controversial details of the case, it may be as 

 well to state, that Mr. Owen, tlie intelligent comparative anatomist of 



