242 THE EEASON WHY. 



'Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging; and whosoever is deceived thereby 

 is not wise." PBOYERBS xx. 



1000. Why, when toe draw the tongue in, do we recognise 

 the sweetness of the sugar ? 



Because the dissolved particles of sugar are brought in contact 

 with the nerves of taste. 



1001. TJirough what nerves are we made sensible of the 

 contact of sugar with the tip of the tongue ? 



Through the nerves of feeling, which are abundantly distributed 

 to the tongue to guide it in its controul over the mastication of 

 food. 



1002. Why do conniseurs of wines close their mouths and 

 distend their chins for a few seconds, when tasting wines ? 



Because they thereby bring the wine in contact with the under 

 surface of the tongue, in which the gustatory nerves chiejly reside. 



1003. Why do they also pass the fumes of the wines through 

 their nostrils? 



Because flavour, in its fullest sense, comprehends not only the 

 taste, but the odour of a substance ; and, therefore, persons of 

 experience attend to both requisites. 



The various conditions of taste are denned to be : 



1. Where sensations of touch are alone produced, as by glass, ice, 

 pebbles, &c. 



2. Where, in addition to being felt upon the tongue, the 

 the substance excites sensation in the olfactory nerves, as by lead, 

 tin, copper, &c. 



3. Where, besides being felt, there are peculiar sensations of 

 taste, expressive of the properties of bodies, as salt, sugar, tartaric 

 acid, &c. 



4. Where, besides being felt and tasted, there is an odour 

 characteristic of the substance, and essential to the full develope- 

 ment of its flavours, as in cloves, lemon-peel, carri way -seed, and 

 aromatic substances generally. 



1004. Why do we feel ? 



Because there are distributed to various parts of the body fine 

 nervous filaments, which have for their special duty the trans- 

 mission to the brain of impressions made upon them by contact 

 Kith substances. 



