SENSE OF TASTE. 171 



sweet, but the taste of each is different. Linneus and Booer- 

 haave both made a classification of savours, but they have 

 never been generally adopted by physiologists. Adelon 

 divides them into two kinds, the agreeable and disagreeable. 

 But even this division is not founded in nature ; for we find 

 the old adage true, that " one man's meat is another man's 

 poison." iEvery person has some peculiarities of taste, dis 

 likes to particular articles of food, or shades of difference in 

 the appreciation of tastes, which may be constitutional, or 

 caused by association. Besides, the taste sometimes be- 

 comes unaccountably morbid or depraved. We often see 

 children devouring chalk, brick-dust, ashes, dirt, and slate- 

 pencils, when if, at other times, they were required to swal- 

 low such articles, as medicine, they would doubtless deem it 

 a peculiar hardship. 



8. Savours differ as to the permanence or transientness 

 of impression which they leave upon the organs of taste. 

 (Aromatic and bitter substances particularly leave their taste 

 in the mouth for a long time after they have been swallow- 

 ed jj the physician, therefore, when he wishes to administer 

 some nauseous drug, forestalls the sense of taste, by direct- 

 ing one of these substances lo be held previously in the 

 mouth. There is a common experiment on this subject, 

 which has led to many bets, viz., giving to a person blind- 

 fold, brandy, rum, gin, or any other spirituous liquor in rapid 

 succession, and see whether he can tell one from another. 

 In a short time, the nerve becomes so impregnated with the 

 different substances, that all distinction becomes confounded 

 Tasters of wine, tea, &c., understand this principle ;Hbr w< 

 see them take up a small portion and move it over the wholt 

 surface of the mouth, so as to extend its action, and then 

 they wait for some time after the impression is made before 

 they taste of other samplesjf r When a person takes a medi 

 cinal draught, he gulps it down as quick as possible, in order 

 that it may come in contact with as small a portion as pos 

 sihle of the organ of taste.. 



