EXAMINATION OF VEGETABLE POWDERS 23 



II. Pseudo-Aromatic Sensations (tactile sensation associated 



with an agreeable odor) Cloves. 



III. Mixed Aromatic Sensations (true taste sensations and tactile 

 sensations associated with agreeable odors) Some fruits, 

 cinnamon. 



C. TACTILE SENSATIONS DESIGNATED AS TASTE SENSATIONS. 

 I. Pungent, Acrid, Hot, Sharp, Biting, Burning (quite generally 

 designated as taste sensations; found with many drugs and 

 all of the spices) Pepper. 



II. Astringent, "Puckery" (usually designated as tastes, and 

 observed in many drugs, usually due to tannin; often as- 

 sociated with a bitter or acrid taste) Alum, green per- 

 simmons, nut galls, some barks, etc. 



III. Mucilaginous (quite generally designated as a taste sensation) 



Slippery elm bark. 



IV. Cooling refreshing (more generally spoken of as " sensations;" 



often associated with acid tastes and pungently aromatic 

 drugs, as the mints) Cool serated water, menthol. 

 V. Sticky, Gummy (quite generally designated as "feels") Due 



to the presence of gums, resins and wax. 



VI. Sandy, Gritty (generally designated as feels) Due to the 

 presence of sand particles, stone cells (the rind of the pear) 

 and other minute hard particles. 



Some taste sensations are not primarily due to sapid substances. 

 For example, the slightly sweet taste of drugs and other substances 

 rich in starch is due to the action of ptyalin (the ferment of saliva), 

 which has the power of converting starch into sugar. As with odor, it 

 is not advisable to taste many drugs in rapid succession; not that the 

 gustatory nerves are easily fatigued, but because one taste sensation 

 should be entirely removed before the second drug is tasted. The so- 

 called pungent tastes are especially difficult to get rid of and slow to 

 disappear, as, for instance, those of croton seeds, sabadilla and mez- 

 ereum. Some sapid substances require time to enter into solution; 

 hence in hasty work two or three drugs might be tested as to taste 

 before the sensation of the first drug has had time to develop. With 

 some persons reflex dyspeptic symptoms develop after tasting five 

 or six drugs in comparatively rapid succession. More or less painful 

 irritation of lips, mouth and tongue may also follow from the repeated 

 tasting of drugs. 



The following is a grouping of the more common vegetable drugs 

 according to taste. The student must keep clearly in mind that the 



