434 BIOLOGY. 



Deglutition. 



2609. At first the tongue tastes only with its apex or 

 tip ; but after the salts which operate upon the tip are 

 neutralized and examined, the tongue will also taste 

 with its root, the two extremities of the tongue and their 

 gustatory sensations being thus mutually opposed. It 

 therefore takes the morsel upon the root and presses it 

 against the palate, whereby the pharyngeal muscles clasp 

 and swallow it. 



2610. In deglutition the object of the tongue is not 

 to give over or surrender the morsel to the pharynx, but to 

 enjoy it " per se." During this fruition, however, it is 

 robbed of it. Deglutition is therefore a result of an 

 undesigned mechanical contrivance. Each organ works 

 for the other, while fancying that it works for itself, 

 which again it actually does, while it reaps the enjoy- 

 ment so derived. Has the tongue finished tasting the 

 food, then the pharynx obtains it involuntarily. 



2611. To the saliva, and thus to a morsel, the acidu- 

 lous gastric juice is polarwise related; both therefore 

 seek to unite, and with this their organs also, namely, 

 pharynx and stomach. The stomach obtains the pre- 

 ponderance, because it is acidulous ; the pharynx moves 

 towards it and with it also the morsel. 



Rumination. 



2612. If the food, when received into the stomach, 

 continue acid by virtue of its nature, or from not having 

 been properly chewed and imbued with saliva and so 

 neutralized, it is then homonymous with the gastric juice. 

 The stomach therefore seeks to neutralize it, by restoring 

 it again to the action of the saliva. 



2613. Acid aliments cause vomiting. Grass which has 

 not been masticated, and therefore enters acid or non- 

 killed, and susceptible of fermentation, into the stomach, 

 is regularly brought back into the mouth, and to the 

 saliva, i. e. is ruminated or rechewed. 



2614. Rumination is a regular act of vomiting, which 



