380 THE SKIN AND THE SENSE-OIiGANS. 



nective-tissue and are spindle-shaped ; the two ends of the spindle 

 are glassy in appearance, the middle portion is fibrous. In the 

 thickest part of the corpuscle is a zone of nuclear bodies. 



They are regarded as touch-bodies (Golgi and Lowe). Golgi (/. c.} 

 describes two kinds of touch-organs in connection with muscle and 

 tendon ; one class correspond with those just described, he names 

 them ' nervous muscle-tendon organs/ The second class he com- 

 pares with the touch-bodies found in the conjunctiva.] 



III. THE ORGANS OF TASTE. 



The organs of taste are not confined to the surface of the tongue, 

 but are also found on the mucous membrane of the roof of the 

 mouth, especially in the neighbourhood of the vomerine teeth ; on 

 both roof and floor of the mouth these organs can be traced to the 

 commencement of the oesophagus. 



[The mucous membrane of the tongue possesses two kinds of 

 papillae and numerous glands. 



a. The filiform papillae are the more numerous ; they are conical 

 or thread-like in form, and consist of connective-tissue, with a few 

 striated muscle-fibres ; they include blood-capillaries, but no nerves 

 have been traced into them (Ley dig). They are covered with 

 ciliated epithelium and goblet-cells. 



b. The fungiform papillae are much larger, and are paler than 

 the filiform papillae. The free ends of these papillae are broader 

 than the bases, and when the epithelium is removed the free ends 

 present a concavity. From the base to the border of the free surface 

 each papilla is covered with the usual oval, ciliated epithelium, 

 but at this border an abrupt transition takes place. The 

 epithelium covering the end of the papillae is of three kinds : 

 goblet-cells, cylindrical cells, and forked cells ; the three forms of 

 cells are quite characteristic, and no intermediate transitionary forms 

 are met with. 



(i) The goblet-cells (Fig. 237 I) are arranged vertically to the 

 free surface of the papilla; they are from O'O2O-O'O24 mm. in 

 length, and from O'oi-cro2 mm. in diameter. In the lower third 

 of the cell is found a nucleus of about O'OoH mm. in diameter, and 

 this encloses a nucleolus of about O'ooi mm. in diameter. Close 

 underneath the nucleus the cell is contracted to form an irregular 

 process or foot. The contents of the cells are a very finely granular, 



