CLA 7 OF IRRITATION. 129 



ufed with advantage by Dr. Darwin of Shrewibury. See 

 IV. 2. i. 15. 



7. Qlfaclus imminutus. Inactivity of the fenfe of fmell. 

 i our habits of trufting to the art of cookery, and not exam- 

 ining our iocd by the fmell as other animals do, our fen 

 fmell is lefs perfect than theirs. See Sett. XVI. 5. Gab i V . z. 

 i. 16. 



M. M. Mild errhines. 



8. Guftus imminutus. Want of tafte is very common in fevers, 

 owing frequently to the drynefs or fcurf of the tongue, or exter- 

 nal organ of that fenfe, rather than to any injury of the nerves of 

 taire. See Clafs I. i. 3. i.lV. 2. i. 16. 



M. M. Warm fubacid liquids taken frequently. 



9. Tafius imminutus. Numbnefs is frequently complained of 

 in fevers, and in epilepfy, and the toilch is fometimes impaired 

 by the drynefs of the cuticle of the fingers. See Clafs IV. 2. i . 16. 



When the fenfe of touch is impaired by the compreilion of the 

 nerve, as in fitting long with one thigh croffed over the other, 

 the linlb appears larger, when we touch it with our hands, 

 which is to be afcribed to the indiltinctnefs of the fenfation of 

 touch, and may be explained in the fame manner as the appar- 

 ent largenefs of objects feen through a milt. In this laft cafe 

 the minute parts of an object, as iuppofe of a diitant boy, are 

 feen lefs diftinctly, and therefore we infiantly conceive them to 

 be further from the eye, and in coniequence that the whole fub- 

 tends a larger angle, and thus we believe the boy to be a man. 

 So when any one's fingers are preiTed on a benumbed limb, the 

 fenfation produced is lefs" than it mould be, judging from vifible 

 ciicumftances ; we therefore conceive, that fomething interve- 

 ned between the object and the fenfe, for it is felt as if a blank- 

 et was v put between them; and that not b^ing vifibiy the . 

 \ve judge that the limb is fwelled. 



The fenfe of touch is alfo liable to be deceived from the ac- 

 quired habits of one part of it acting in the vicinity of another 

 part of it. Thus if the middle finger be crofted over either of 

 the fingers next to it, and a nut be felt by the two ends of the 

 fingers Ib croiTed at the fame time, the nut appears as if i L was 

 two nuts. And Jaftly, the fenfe of touch is liable to be deceived 

 by preconceived ideas j which we believe to be excited by exter- 

 nal objects, even when we are awake. It has happened to n-c 

 more than once, and I fuppoie to rnoft others, to have put my 

 hands into an empty bafon, (landing in an obfcure corner of a 

 loom, to warn them, which I believed to contain cold water, ami 

 haveinftantly perceived a fenfaiion of waniuli, cuiifi-ary to th.it 

 which I expected to have felt. 



VOL. II. S la 



