156 SENSE OF TASTE. 



salivary glands, or causes the " mouth to water," as it has been called 

 projecting the saliva, at times, to a distance of some feet from the 

 mouth, and disposing every part to approach or mingle with it a 

 nauseous substance produces constriction of every secretory organ ; an 

 effect which extends even to the stomach itself, so that it often rejects 

 the offending article, as soon as it reaches the cavity. We can thus 

 understand how, cseteris paribus, an article, that is pleasing to the 

 palate, may be more digestible than one that excites disgust ; and con- 

 versely. Of the " consent of parts," exerted between the stomach and 

 the -organ of taste, we have a familiar illustration in the fact, that 

 whatever may be the gout, with which we commence a meal on a fa- 

 vourite article of diet, we find that the relish is blunted as the stomach 

 becomes filled ; and hence the Romans were in the habit of leaving the 

 table once or twice during a meal, and, after having unloaded the 

 organ, of returning again to the charge "vomunt ut edant, edunt ut 

 vomant." 



If we place a sapid substance in the mouth, and then close the nos- 

 trils, the taste is diminished, a fact, which has given rise to the gene- 

 rally prevalent and correct opinion, that an intimate relation exists 

 between the smell and taste. They are, however, distinct. Most 

 sapid substances have an odour or "flavour," which is not appreciated 

 when we prevent the air from passing through* the nasal fossae. This 

 renders the impression on the gustatory nerves still less marked, but it 

 exists. Gustation is likewise diminished by the new sensation produced 

 in the nostrils by their closure; so that the same amount of attention 

 is not directed to the sense of taste. 



Among animals we see great diversities in this sense. Whilst none 

 possess the refined taste of man ; there are many, which are capable, 

 by taste or smell, of knowing plants that are nutritive from those that 

 are noxious to them ; and it is unusual for us to find that an animal has 

 died from eating such as are unquestionably poisonous to it. Yet, as 

 we have remarked, a substance, that is noxious to one, may be eaten 

 with impunity by another; and, if we select animals, and place them in 

 a field containing plants, all of which are ranked as poisons, and are 

 poisonous to a majority of them, we find that not only has a selection 

 been made by each animal of that which is innocuous to it, but that 

 the substance has furnished nourishment to it, whilst it might have 

 proved fatal to others. All this must be dependent upon peculiar, and 

 inappreciable organization. 



The sense of taste is more under the influence of volition than any 

 other. It is provided with a muscular apparatus, by which it can be 

 closed or opened at pleasure; and, in addition, ordinarily requires the 

 assistance of the upper extremity to convey the sapid substance to the 

 mouth. The sense can, therefore, be exercised either passively or 

 actively; and, by cultivation, it is capable of being largely developed. 

 The spirit taster to extensive commercial establishments exhibits the 

 truth of this in a striking manner. In his vocation, he has not only to 

 taste numerous samples, but to appreciate the age, strength, flavour, 

 and other qualities of each: and the practised individual is rarely wrong 

 in his discrimination. With almost all, if not all, these "tasters," the 

 custom is to take a small quantity of the liquor into the mouth; throw 



